Chameleon
by bookwormbullet
Summary: AU-Cammie Morgan is a young girl living in the village of Gallagher with a mysterious past. When her village is attacked, Cammie is captured by an equally mysterious green eyed boy, who just so happens to be working for her sort-of dad, Joe Solomon. Join Cammie as she battles with death, family, and the deadliest of them all, love. Read for Zammie. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, this is my first fanfic, so please bear with me :) Below is the background story for this fanfic. Please MAKE SURE YOU READ IT because you won't understand anything about the story if you don't. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Gallagher Girl series (unfortunately). Only the plot and setting(s) are mine.

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><p><strong>Background Story<strong>

This fanfic takes place in the future, where humans are now living in little villages. The villages are "ruled" by a ship named _Cavan_. _Cavan_ is literally a big floating ship in the sky that oversees the villages and keeps everything under control and everything in all the villages are operated from the ship. The ship is run by a group of people called "The Circle of Cavan." Inside the Circle are some of the most important elected leaders of all time. It is considered an honor to be a part of the Circle and govern the villages. The leader of the Circle of Cavan is Catherine Goode. She's kind of like the queen of all the villages. In each village, there is a leader and ten Council Officials. The council officials report to the leaders of the villages, who in turn, report to Catherine.

Besides the villagers, there is another group of humans. They are called Outlanders. Outlanders want to destroy the ship _Cavan_ and the government system of the villages. Because of this threat, the Circle of Cavan labels all Outlanders as enemies. Outlanders attack villages from time to time, and can easily wipe out an entire village. To help defend a village during an Outlander attack, the Circle of Cavan sends droids from the ship to exterminate the Outlanders. I'll explain more about Outlanders later.

Now, in each village, there are about three hundred people. Cammie Morgan is a young girl who is living in the village of Gallagher. There was an attack on Gallagher by Outlanders and both Cammie's parents died in the battle. Cammie was only three years old. Josh's parents both died as well. Cammie and Josh have been friends since they were toddlers, and are now dating. They are both Council officials of Gallagher. The leader of Gallagher used to be Cammie's dad, but when he died, Joe Solomon took his place.

In Gallagher, everyone has their own apartment or house. An apartment is large enough for two people, while a house can is large enough for four. Cammie, Josh, and Joe each have their own apartment.

So, coming back to the subject of Outlanders, I mentioned that they are a group of people who don't believe in the government system of the villages (Outlanders). The Outlanders' main objective is to destroy the villages one by one. To destroy a village, the leader (who is usually allied with the Outlanders) can call the Outlander base to ask for an attack and for the Outlanders to "kidnap" the leader plus any other requested persons. Since some Outlanders (including leaders) hide their true identity while still living in a village, the leaders must make up an "Outlander search" every week to fool Catherine and the rest of the Circle into thinking the leader does not share beliefs with Outlanders. Council officials go around searching people's houses to make sure there are no Outlanders. And the Outlander battle uniform includes an animal mask given to only the most elite Outlanders.

This story is about Cammie and her life at Gallagher and the different surprises that come up.

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><p><strong>~Chameleon~<strong>

**Chapter 1**

The sunlight shone through the windows of Cammie's bedroom a little brighter than when she usually woke. Cammie sat up with a start and frowned at the intensity of the light. Rubbing her eyes, she peered at the little clock sitting on her nightstand. She had woken up an hour later then she usually did. Giving a small sound of surprise, she threw the covers back and leaped out of bed.

Cammie hurriedly put on a green tank top and black jeans and pulled on a pair of combat boots while hurriedly trying to brush her teeth. She pulled out a black box from underneath her bed. Inside it was her gun, which she stuffed into the back pocket of her jeans. She also took a knife and slid it into her boot.

Cammie passed the mirror in the hallway and stopped short at the sight of her hair. She ran her fingers through it a couple of times, trying to get rid of the tangles, but gave up. Instead she tied it up into a messy bun before leaving her apartment.

As Cammie stepped out of her apartment, she was greeted by the many people walking down the main road. She smiled as she passed each pedestrian and glanced up into the sky. Cammie could clearly see _Cavan_, sitting midair. The ship was looking even more massive and huge than normal. She had always wondered how the Circle of Cavan had managed to keep the ship afloat forever.

Cammie hurried towards the big gray building up ahead the road, which was the cafeteria. This was where everyone had their meals. There was a crowd of people exiting the building, so Cammie had to squeeze her way through the double doors and into the cafeteria. She jogged up to the counter, where a lady in her mid-50s was talking to one of the villagers.

When the lady finished her conversation with the villager, she turned towards Cammie. "Morning, Cameron!" she smiled.

"Good morning Patricia," Cammie grinned back. "I hope I'm not too late for breakfast. Is there anything left?"

"We have a few eggs, and some toast," Patricia replied. "Is that fine?"

"Yeah, of course," Cammie took a seat at one of the long tables in the room as Patricia disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Patricia appeared with an omelet, two pieces of toast, and a glass of orange juice.

"Here you go," she said, setting the food down in front of Cammie.

"Patricia?" Cammie asked. "Before you go, would you happen to know where Josh is?"

Patricia chuckled. "I saw him with Joe earlier, heading towards the Council Hall. "Don't know if he's still there, but you can check."

"Thanks," Cammie said gratefully.

"No problem," Patricia patted Cammie's back. "He's a good kid; Josh." She smiled one last time before walking back towards the kitchen.

Cammie continued eating and when she was done, waved Patricia goodbye and left the cafeteria. She walked towards the Council Hall and entered the building.

Two men were standing at a table looking at a map spread out in front of them. The man on the left was tall, with dark hair and a face that could make any middle aged woman melt. This was Joe Solomon, the man who had raised Cammie ever since her parents had died. The boy standing next to him was Josh Abrams, Cammie's boyfriend. He had brown hair and blue eyes, and looked like your typical teenage heartthrob.

Josh turned at the sound of the door opening and grinned. "Hey there," he gave Cammie a hug and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Hi," Cammie smiled. "Good morning, Joe," she nodded at Joe.

"Hey kiddo," Joe ruffled Cammie's hair. "Did you sleep well?"

Cammie nodded and her eyes fell on the big map spread out on the table. "What's this?" she asked. Josh looked at Joe, and coughed nervously. Cammie glanced up at Josh, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Joe shook his head slightly.

Josh said, "She has a right to know."

"A right to know what?" Cammie asked, turning towards Joe. "Tell me."

Joe cleared his throat. "The guards up at the watch towers spotted a couple of Outlanders today."

"What!" Cammie said, shocked. "How come we aren't under a lock down then?"

"They haven't made a move yet," Josh reasoned. "We're safe for now."

Cammie looked at Joe. "If the Outlanders attack…." her voice trailed off.

"I know..." Joe said, pacing back and forth.

"We have to do something!" Cammie exclaimed.

Josh nodded. "There's going to be a Council meeting today at noon. We'll vote on what's our best action."

"There's not enough time!" Cammie said. "The Outlanders could attack any second. We have to take action now!"

"Cammie," Joe said tiredly. "I've already doubled the amount of guards surrounding the perimeter. We can do a quick search through the village and see if we can find anything. If we do, then we'll decide what the next best step is. Just stay put for a couple more hours, okay?" He turned and the left the building.

"C'mon," Josh said. "We should probably start the search." Cammie nodded and followed him out of the room, her mind preoccupied with the safety of Gallagher.

After a couple of hours, Josh and Cammie had searched all the houses of the villagers. They had found nothing. Nobody seemed to be the Outlander type, except this one lady, who was furious when Cammie had told her she was going to search her home

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><p><em>"I have nothing here!" the woman cried out indignantly. "You can't just come into my house unwelcome!"<em>

_"I'm sorry, ma'am," Cammie said for the hundredth time. "But it's the local protocol. We're just trying to keep everyone safe. Everyone is getting their homes searched." She turned and started to exit the house._

_The woman started grumbling and said, "What about Joe Solomon. Why don't you search his house? He could be the Outlander for all we know!"_

_Cammie wheeled onto the woman. "Joe Solomon is a good person, all right? He raised me as one of his own when both of my parents died from an Outlander attack. Those Outlanders killed his best friend. If you think that he doesn't hate Outlanders for one second, you're wrong!"_

_The woman stepped back, surprised. "I'm sorry__…__ I didn__'__t know__…__.__"_

_"That's all right," Cammie apologized for her outburst as well before turning and leaving the house._

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><p>Cammie sighed at the memory and sank down into one of the chairs in the Council room. Josh came and sat down next to her.<p>

"You okay?" Josh asked, caressing her cheek.

"Yeah," Cammie smiled. "I'm just worried."

"Me too," Josh smiled. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be happy. C'mon," he stood up and held out a hand for Cammie. "I wanted to show you something."

"What?" Cammie took his hand and stood up.

"You'll see," Josh smiled and led Cammie out of the building and onto the streets.

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><p><strong>AN: So, what did you guys think? Does it make sense? I'm sorry that it's such a short chapter. The next chapter will hopefully be longer. All of you Zammie fans don't have to worry, Zach will come up in the next few chapters :) Remember to review your thoughts! Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for choosing to continue to read my story. I kinda want to get on with the first few chapters so you guys can get your Zammie moments faster. **

**A special shout out for my first five reviewers (I know, five reviews sounds pathetic :p)**

**Smirk And Walk Away: **Oh my gosh, you literally just made my day with your compliments. I honestly don't care if reviews are like three words long, just saying that you love my story is enough :) Thanks for being patient for Zach's appearance.

**kaitgirl: **I'm glad I put the background info up, too. I was explaining the story to one of my friends the other day, and she just gave me this confused look. So, hopefully it helped you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan: **I'm really really sorry about the whole Josh & Cammie thing. If you really don't want to read more scenes with them, then I advise you to skip this chapter. Just hang in there for a couple more chapters, okay?

**Guest: **Thanks for pointing out that mistake! I can't believe I didn't catch that!

**Guest: **Well, I love your review :) Thank you for writing this; it means a lot :)

**meghna: **Ahaha sure :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls series :(**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Josh pulled Cammie along with him as he walked towards the main gate.

"How are we going to get past the guards?" Cammie whispered to him. "I've never snuck out before."

"Just wait," Josh whispered back. He walked up to the security guard standing at the gate. "Hey Paul," Josh smiled at the guard. "Joe just wanted us to give some orders to the guards at the watch towers."

"I can send someone to do that for you," Paul said in a deep voice.

"No, that wouldn't be necessary," Josh shook his head. "Joe told us to tell them ourselves."

The guard gave them a look of doubt, but stepped aside to let them pass.

"Thanks, big guy," Josh grinned and patted the guard's tattooed arm.

Cammie just gave the guard a wavering smile and hurried after Josh. "I can't believe you," she smirked at Josh as they trudged into the woods.

"Me neither," Josh chuckled. "Close your eyes," he came over to Cammie.

"Okay..." Cammie said uncertainly, but complied and shut her eyes.

"Be careful now," Josh slowly led Cammie through the forest, making sure she wouldn't stumble.

"If I fall, you're going to be in big trouble," Cammie warned.

"Hold on," he was all he said.

"Wha—" before she could register what was happening, Josh had picked her up and was running while carrying her piggyback. "Josh!" she squealed. "Put me down!"

"Keep your eyes closed," he panted.

As they kept on running, Cammie was sure she could hear the sound of water. "Josh, where are we going?" she called, smiling.

"We're almost there," he replied. After a couple of minutes, Josh slowed to a stop and slid Cammie off of his back. "Open your eyes," he said softly.

She did, and gave a small gasp. The scene laid out in front of her looked beautiful. There was a little waterfall trickling into a sparkling lake. There were birds and a couple of butterflies flying around, and the sun shone brightly through the tall redwood trees. "It's amazing," she breathed.

"I saw it while I went hunting with the others," Josh smiled. "I didn't tell them, of course, but I wanted to show you."

Cammie turned towards him. "This is so perfect, thank you," she grinned. She turned back and walked out onto a large rock that jutted out into the water. Closing her eyes, she let herself melt away with the calming sounds of the waterfall. Suddenly, she heard a big splash. She opened her eyes, and saw Josh in the lake with only his boxers on.

"What are you doing?" Cammie exclaimed. "You're going to get into huge trouble!"

"Oh come on," Josh said. "The water's perfect! Get in here!"

"Josh, we'll be late for the meeting," Cammie reminded him, crossing her arms.

"Who cares? Can't I have some fun with my girlfriend for once?" Josh asked. When Cammie didn't budge, he threatened, "If you don't come in here, I'll climb out and start tickling you like crazy."

"...Fine," Cammie started taking off her boots. She made sure no weapons were on her body before joining Josh in the lake.

Josh and Cammie spent the whole hour splashing each other, doing cannonballs into the water, swimming races, and basically just having fun.

After a while, Cammie stared up at the sky. The sun was almost directly overhead. "It's almost noon. We're going to be late for the Council meeting," she said. When Josh didn't answer, she glanced at him. "Josh?"

But Josh wasn't paying attention. He was gazing intently out past Cammie's shoulder.

"What is it?" Cammie asked, turning around.

Josh put his finger to his lips, pushed Cammie towards the waterfall, and told her to hide behind the pouring water. He swam towards the shore and grabbed their clothes and weapons.

Cammie ducked behind the waterfall and anxiously waited for Josh. She stood underneath the little cave that was behind the waterfall. "Why are you acting like this, what's wrong?" Cammie whispered to Josh as he joined her.

"I heard some people coming," Josh whispered back.

"Outlanders?" Cammie asked.

Josh shrugged. "Maybe."

Cammie was about to ask how many people Josh thought were coming when she heard a shout. Her head whipped towards the sound.

"Hurry up guys! We can't be late!" a male voice called out. A bunch of heavy footsteps could be heard. Josh took Cammie's hand and pulled her closer to him. The footsteps started to fade away.

"Sir! Wait!" a voice shouted out. The hairs on the back of Cammie's neck stood straight.

"What is it?" an impatient voice came closer to where Cammie and Josh were. Cammie craned her neck and caught a glimpse of a tall man with dark hair.

"The grass—it's wet. That can only mean one thing," the voice explained. "Someone was in the water not too long ago. And they're probably still here since the grass hasn't dried yet."

"Search the area," the dark haired man commanded. "There's no place for them to hide."

Cammie took a sharp breath and Josh squeezed her hand in reassurance.

A couple of Outlanders trudged into the lake and kicked around in the water. After a few minutes, a woman declared, "There's no one here." She had a thick accent that reminded Cammie of the accent of the people of the country of the United Kingdom—a country that had been on an island that had sunk underwater over 250 years ago.

"Then let's leave," the dark haired man turned and started walking away from the lake. "Joe is expecting us, and he's going to be expecting an attack in the next hour or so." The sound of the footsteps slowly disappeared.

Cammie's eyes widened. _Joe is expecting us._ Did the man mean Joe Solomon? Was Joe an Outlander?!

_"What about Joe Solomon? Why don't you search his house? He could be the Outlander for all we know!"_

Cammie remembered the woman's words. But she still couldn't believe it. The man who had acted as a second father to Cammie? _No, it can't be. He'd never betray us. Joe hates Outlanders._ But the sickening feeling in her stomach didn't go away.

Cammie looked up at Josh, who was staring dead ahead, his face twisted into a look of horror.

"Josh?" Cammie asked, placing her hand hesitantly on his forearm.

"The Outlanders," Josh breathed. He turned towards Cammie with an expression full of fright. "They were heading for Gallagher."

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><p><strong>AN: Dun, dun, dun! I have a feeling that this chapter made a lot of readers sick because of the Josh & Cammie moments. I don't know if you guys noticed but two of the main characters of the Gallagher Girls Series were mentioned in this chapter. Kudos to whoever can guess who it is :)**

**Anyways, I have to apologize that this chapter was also really short :( So, to make it up for you guys, I'll update the next chapter later pretty soon. Bye!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay guys, here's your next chapter!**

**One thing I wanted to mention**—**l****ast year, Ally Carter posted on her blog that Tonik Productions was considering making the Gallagher Girls series into a movie franchise. I know that it's kinda late, but I just wanted to put that out there just in case someone didn't know already. I was super happy, because I know that Disney or someone was considering LYKY to be made into a movie in 2009, but the offer got turned down or something, which was really disappointing.**

**Anyways, I promise this is the last chapter were there are any Josh & Cammie moments. Thanks again for reviewing, and congrats to GallagherGirls13BYE and one of my guest reviewers (EMc)! They both got yesterday's question correct. The dark haired man is none other than Zachary Goode and the woman with the British accent is none other than Bex :p**

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan: **I can see you really love Zammie :p Sorry for all the Jammie though :(

**GallagherGirls13Bye:** Yay! You got my question correct! It is Bex, haha :) Don't worry, the Zammie will start soon enough. Thanks for reviewing!

**EMc:** You got my question correct, congrats :) AND you got the masked man question correct, too! Awesome job! Thanks for your support :)

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** I know, I know...Just wait, like, two (three at the most) more chapters, okay? Thanks for your compliment :)

**Disclaimer: Only the story line belongs to me in this fanfic.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Josh and Cammie ran quietly towards Gallagher, making sure they didn't accidentally bump into any Outlanders. They were careful not to step on branches or produce any sound when their feet hit the ground.

_Guess all the years of physical training came into handy after all, _Cammie thought dryly.

Cammie found it hard to focus, though. She was still thinking about whether or not Joe was actually an Outlander or not. She brushed her hand across her face and it came back wet.

_Why am I crying? I should be angry, not upset..._Cammie scowled.

Suddenly, Josh held out a hand to stop her. He pointed in front of them, and when Cammie squinted, she could make out several Outlanders camped out underneath the low hanging branches of the trees.

"We're going to have to find another way around," Josh whispered. "C'mon."

Cammie followed him away from the Outlanders, who had surrounded almost the entire village. But, after dodging the guards at the watch towers, they found themselves at the side fence that ran along the perimeter of the village.

"Weird..." Josh said. "Why haven't the Outlanders covered this area yet?"

"You're right, that is strange," Cammie admitted. "We should hurry and go tell the others about what's happening."

"Yeah, here," Josh knelt down and held his hands out in front of him. "I'll give you a boost."

Cammie hoisted herself over the fence and jumped down, landing in a crouch. A second later, Josh was beside her.

Seeing Cammie's pained face, Josh took her hand. "Cammie, you shouldn't worry about Joe. There's a big chance that the Outlanders were talking about some other person named Joe."

Cammie nodded numbly and bit her lip to keep more tears from falling. "Let's just go."

They took off, walking quickly towards the Council Building. Josh burst through the door and stopped short when they saw the gaping faces of the other Council members.

"Cammie? Josh? Where were you guys?" Joe asked sternly. "You're late."

"Sorry," Cammie merely shrugged her shoulders, staring Joe dead in the eye.

"And why are you guys all wet?" Joe raised an eyebrow.

Cammie glanced at Josh, who was looking at her with a slightly nervous expression. He cleared his throat and said, "It was my fault, sir. We snuck out..." A collective gasp rose from the other people in the room.

"You did _what_?" Joe turned his head sharply towards Cammie. "Is this true?"

Cammie smirked and nodded. She desperately wanted to run over to Joe and throttle him. She was really mad, and the only way she could refrain her anger was to channel it into defiance.

"Do you know how dangerous it is out there right now?" Joe demanded. "You could have been killed!"

"I know, it was entirely my fault, sir," Josh said. "Cammie had no part in this, she doesn't deserve a punishment."

"That's beside the point," Cammie cut in, fixing Joe a harsh glare. "We saw a couple of Outlanders on our way back."

Joe took in a sharp breath, but allowed Cammie to continue.

"They were talking about invading the village in the next hour," Cammie looked around the room at the other council members. "They've got the whole perimeter surrounded."_ But I guess Joe already knows that,_ she thought, scoffing.

"What?" This time it was Patricia who spoke. The lines on her face were etched with worry. "That's not possible. The guards would have seen them."

"They're well hidden by the forest," Cammie explained. "Listen, we need to put the entire village into lock down. It's the only thing we can do right now."

Josh nodded slowly. "She's right. We have to get a move on."

Joe looked at both of them. "All right then," he said, glancing at his watch. "You two go and ask one of the radio operators to send a distress signal to Cavan. Have them ask for about a dozen droids. Meanwhile, I'll sound the alarm."

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><p>"CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. PROCEED INTO LOCKDOWN. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL," Joe's voice blared over the speaker. The volume was loud enough so that all the villagers could hear it, but not loud enough for the Outlanders positioned beyond the watch towers.<p>

Cammie had joined Josh and the others in the weapons room. They were loading themselves with everything stocked in the room. All the soldiers were yelling at one another; shouting orders. Cammie looked around the room. Everyone seemed really worried. She glanced at Josh. There were lines creasing his forehead. "Josh," she asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

He looked up as if he realized she was there for the first time. "Uh, yeah. I'm okay. How about you?"

"Fine," Cammie smiled and placed her hand on his cheek.

Josh glanced down at the weapons in Cammie's arms. "Who are those for?" he asked, frowning.

"For me," Cammie said slowly.

"Cammie, you're not coming with us," Josh said sternly. "I won't let you go into battle."

"Why not?" Cammie said indignantly. "I can fight as well as any of you."

"It's too dangerous!" Josh replied, reaching for the weapons in her arms. Cammie stepped back and glared at him as Joe entered the room.

"Everyone ready?" Joe called out. His eyes fell on Cammie. "Cam, what are you doing here? Go with the other villagers in the cafeteria."

"No," Cammie said, placing her hands on her hips. "I want to fight."

"Are you out of your mind, kiddo?" Joe asked. "You're going to get yourself hurt."

"Don't call me that!" Cammie said, her voice rising.

"Kid—Cammie. I won't tell you again," Joe pressed on. "You're not coming with us."

Cammie rolled her eyes and was about to protest again when a loud beeping sound was heard from outside. Joe walked over to the door and pushed it open. Hovering above the ground in the town square were about a dozen droids, all ready to for Joe's instructions.

"Josh, can you and Cammie go and tell the droids the protocol?" Joe asked.

Josh nodded and Cammie followed him reluctantly outside. They went to each droid and specifically inserted instructions to shoot any Outlander and leave any Gallagher villager unharmed.

After a few minutes, Joe poked his head into the outside. "Josh, get in here." he called out. "We have a problem."

"Stay here," Josh told Cammie and ran off. Cammie ignored him and hurried inside as well. In the room, the soldiers were gathered in a circle, looking troubled.

"What is it?" Josh asked.

"We're short on staff," Joe said quietly. "We have enough soldiers, but we need someone to protect the cafeteria."

"What about the droids?" Josh asked.

"We need the droids to handle the Outlanders," Joe said. "And I'd rather not have a machine protect the rest of my village."

"I can help," Cammie suggested. Josh and Joe ignored her and continued talking within themselves. Cammie cleared her throat and tried again. "I can help!"

Josh and Joe looked at her with disbelief. "Cammie, I just told you. You can't—"

"You need all the help you can get," Cammie said confidently.

"Just let her in," Patricia spoke up from the group of soldiers. "She can take care of herself."

"I can't just—" Joe protested. But Cammie interrupted yet again.

"Please, Joe," she said softly. "My dad would have wanted this."

"Cammie, we can't let you die," Josh put in. "I can't lose you." He grabbed her hand and as if to prove how much she meant to him.

Just then, an explosion went off. The whole building shook and bits of the ceiling along with dust fell to the ground. Joe looked up, surprised.

"They've started to attack! Let's move out now!" The soldiers stood up and ran out of the room. Joe turned to Cammie and said, "Go to the cafeteria and protect the other villagers!" before leaving.

Cammie nodded and looked up at Josh. "Go," she smiled urgently. "They need you."

"Dammit Cammie," Josh shook his head and kissed her fiercely. It was a hard, wild, rough kiss. It was as if this kiss was the last thing they could do together before they could ever see each other again.

Josh pulled away, and stared deeply into Cammie's eyes. "Stay safe. I'll see you in a little while." He started to step back. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Cammie whispered back. She kissed him one last time before he ran off to join the other soldiers. She stood there, staring at his back going farther and farther away. He looked back, one last time, and smiled at her, before disappearing beyond the gate.

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><p><strong>AN: What do you think? Sorry for the last few paragraphs. That probably made some of you guys throw up or something. But I kind had to put that in there, because otherwise, Cammie's relationship with Josh would seem completely fake. No flames, please? Thanks, you guys are the best. Okay then, that's all I have to say. Hope you enjoyed :) R&R!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, guys. You should all be excited because this chapter is where Zach officially enters the story. So, for all of you intense Zammie shippers, here you go. **

**But wait! First, we have some shoutouts:**

**GallagherGirls13BYE: **Yeah, I know, the demands kind of stress me out. But it's a part of being an author, so I'm okay with having people say stuff like that. But I really appreciate your kind words :) Thank you so much! You're amazeballs ;)

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan:** Don't worry, Zammie will arrive soon.

**JustDon'tFlickrrrchapter: **And I love your review so freaking much!

**meghna again: **Here's the next chapter, hopefully you're okay now :)**  
><strong>

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it :)

**Okay, I'm gonna stop blabbering now and let you guys continue on...**

**Discalimer: All the Gallagher Girl's characters rightfully belong to Ally Carter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie ran towards the cafeteria as fast as she could. She stopped at the door and pounded on it. "Open up, it's Cammie!"

"Password?" A man's voice drifted out through the crack underneath the door. Cammie rolled her eyes at this, but such restrictions were needed. "Alpha 1-2-3," she rattled off. There were two passwords. One was the one Cammie had said and the other was "Omega 3-2-1." "Alpha 1-2-3" meant that you were by yourself and "Omega 3-2-1" meant that the enemy was forcing you to open the door.

Cammie heard a couple of grunts and the sound of heavy furniture hitting the ground. Finally, the door slid open, and Cammie slipped inside. She helped the a few villagers push the heavy furniture back into place so they blocked the door. She turned and faced them, letting out a sigh of relief. There were at least two hundred villagers crowded together in the cafeteria.

"All right, listen up," Cammie called out. "Who's in charge here?"

Three men came forward, carrying weapons. "We are."

"Good," Cammie nodded. "Now, Joe left me with strict instructions. We are to remain silent until we hear the all clear signal from him. Meanwhile, you can idle about, but make sure you are _silent_," Cammie reminded the crowd.

There were murmurs of agreement and Cammie sat down in a chair. She sat there, thinking about Josh's well being and how Joe had allegedly betrayed them. She looked around the room, where she saw women clutching their children with worried expressions. She saw the elderly resting on little cots. Cammie sighed to herself and mentally cursed the Outlanders for bringing this burden on them.

Suddenly, Cammie heard a shout and a sound of a gunshot. Her head jerked up. The sound had come from outside. Glancing around the room, she saw that nobody had even heard the sound. She stood up, just as another gunshot fired. This time, most villagers had heard the noise. The children started whimpering, and Cammie turned towards them and signaled for everyone to be deadly quiet. She crept up close to the door and cocked her gun, aiming it at the entrance.

A couple of gasps arose from behind Cammie and she advanced towards the door, hearing a thump. A large dent appeared on the steel door. It was as if someone was punching the door from the outside. Cammie stared at it, horrified. The three men who were in charge came up to stand next to her, their guns also aimed at the door.

"Everybody, behind me!" she yelled out. Another dent appeared at the door. And another. And another. Until finally, the door broke down, and the furniture barricaded against the door was knocked to the ground. Standing at the entrance, was the dark haired man Cammie had seen back at the forest. Looking closer at him, she realized that he wasn't a man, but merely a boy—no older than she was.

Smiling to herself, she thought, _This will be easy._ But no sooner had she thought those words, the boy pulled out a small handgun and shot the three men beside Cammie in their legs. The men cried out in pain and collapsed. Cammie stared at shock at them, and a second later she heard the boy's gun clatter to the ground. She turned back to him and saw that his hands were up, as if he was surrendering.

"Come with me," he said and Cammie just gaped at him.

"Why the hell would I do that?" she lifted her gun up to her shoulder level and started firing. Once, twice, three times. Again and again she let bullets fly. But the boy seemingly did not get hurt. Instead he advanced on her. Some of the villagers were screaming and trying to escape through another entrance.

Cammie threw her empty gun to the ground in frustration and pulled out her knife from her boot. She grinned grimly at the boy and took her fighting stance.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that," the boy spoke.

"Do I?" Cammie asked and swiped her knife at the his face. He ducked and punched her in the gut. Cammie gasped in pain. It was as if someone had stuck a hot blade into her stomach and was twisting it around. She dropped the dagger and it clanged to the floor loudly.

The boy pulled his fist away and Cammie fell to her knees. She put her hand to her stomach and when she pulled it away, it was red with blood.

_What was his fist made out of?! _ She gingerly raised her head and saw little gleaming spikes sticking out of the glove on his hand. Each spike had red bubbling dots on the tips. Cammie doubled over, and started coughing up blood. She slumped to the floor and felt like she was dying. _This is it,_ she thought.

And then, all of a sudden, Cammie was lifted off the ground. She wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she distinctively remembered the boy walking out of the room with her in his arms. She also remembered him telling her to "hold on" and that she would "be safe soon." The very last thing she remembered was staring up into a pair of brilliant emerald green eyes before falling unconscious in a world of darkness.

* * *

><p><em>The wind blew steadily, rustling the leaves on the ground. Cammie stood atop a hill that overlooked into a valley. In the valley was a cemetery. Cammie shuddered and tried to turn away, but somehow she couldn't. Her feet started to move, taking steps towards the cemetery. As she neared closer, she could make out some of the names on the gravestones. They all had the same death year carved onto them. 2999. The same year the first Outlanders attacked Gallagher. The same year that both her parents<em>_…__ well, you know. This was where Gallagher buried the dead villagers. _

_All of a sudden, her feet stopped moving and Cammie realized she was standing in front of a gravestone. Two gravestones, to be exact. Cammie stared at the names carved in the marble. _**Matthew Andrew Morgan**_, the left gravestone read. The right gravestone had _**Rachel Morgan**_ on it. Cammie wiped her eyes and dried the tears that had already started to fall. _

_Just then, Cammie heard a shout. She whirled around and gasped at what she saw. It was a man, with a fierce look in his eyes. He was wrestling another burly man who seemed like an Outlander. _

_"Dad," Cammie called out softly. _

_He was just the way she remembered him. Tall, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. Those eyes used to be full of happiness and love. Right now they were as cold as ice. _

_Cammie's dad had beaten up the Outlander, and was staring down at his unconscious state with a look of satisfaction. Cammie wanted to run to him. Run to him and hug him, and say how much she missed him. She started walking towards him, quickly with a grin on her face. She wrapped her arms around his body. He turned to her in a look of surprise. Then the look turned into something else. Pain. Anguish. _

_Cammie's dad cried out suddenly, and clutched his side. He stumbled backwards, away from Cammie and looked at her in disbelief. Cammie stared at him, wondering what was going on. She looked at where his hand pressed against his body, and saw that blood was seeping through his fingers, like a waterfall._

_"Dad?!" she asked worriedly. _

_Her dad fell to his knees and Cammie rushed up to him. "Dad, what's wrong?" But her dad only crawled a little away from her. And then he stopped, and stayed absolutely still. _

_"Dad!" Cammie screamed and pressed her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. Nothing. _

_"No," Cammie whispered. "Come back, Dad. Please come back." It was only then did she feel something cold and metallic in her hand. She glanced down and noticed a gleaming silver dagger in her palm. Cammie dropped it in shock and let out a cry of alarm when she realized it was covered in red blood. "No!" she screamed. "Dad, it wasn't me! I swear!" Cammie stood up and ran away from her dad's body, sobbing tremendously, her whole body shaking. She ran and ran; even when her body was bone tired. _

_Suddenly, she bumped into someone. Cammie stepped back, and looked up to see a woman standing over her. The woman was beautiful, with dark hair and hazel eyes. Cammie knew immediately who she was. _

_"Hey kiddo," the lady reached out to caress Cammie's cheek._

_Cammie stepped back and shook her head. "No, please. Get away from me."_

_"What's wrong?" the lady frowned. "Aren't you glad to see your mother?"_

_"Get away from me," Cammie whispered. "You don't understand."_

_"Oh, come on_—_" Just then the lady's eyes flew wide open. She glanced down feverishly towards her stomach, where a red stain was spreading quickly. "Cammie," she whispered. "Help me." And then she crumpled forward._

_Cammie gasped and took a few steps backward. Standing behind her mother was Josh, who was grinning wickedly. _

_"Hey there, sweetie," he chuckled. "Surprised?"_

_Cammie's eyes fell on the dagger in Josh's hands, identical to the one that was in her hand a few minutes ago._

_"You have no idea what you're capable of, Cammie," Josh spoke. "No idea at all."_

_Cammie screamed, and Josh and her mother faded into darkness._

* * *

><p>Cammie sat up straight, breathing heavily. Sweat dotted her forehead.<p>

"It was just a dream," she whispered to herself. "Nothing more than a stupid nightmare." As she calmed down, she thought about how long it had been since she had dreamed about her parents. Almost 14 years.

Throwing off the covers, Cammie slipped off of the bed. It was when her feet touched the ground she realized that she wasn't in her apartment anymore. She was in a small room with gray walls and no windows. Other than a bed, dresser, full length mirror, and a carpet on the floor, there was no other furniture in the room.

Cammie glanced down at herself and saw that she was still wearing the same clothes as before. She looked up and noticed that there were two doors in the room. Cammie went up to the first one and rattled the doorknob. Realizing it was locked, she shoved her body weight against it, but the door didn't budge.

Sighing, she decided to explore what was behind the second door. This one wasn't locked, and Cammie found a bathroom inside. There was a neatly folded stack of towels and some soap and shampoo for her to use. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, she stripped off her clothes, and stepped into the small shower stall.

The hot water made Cammie feel more relaxed. She did her best to get rid of the dirt and grime on her skin. After she was done with her shower, she wrapped herself with one of the towels and searched the dresser for a pair of clothes. Cammie found a yellow sweater and black leggings. Her shoes were on the floor next to the dresser. She changed and walked over to the mirror. Cammie stared at herself. Her figure had grown skinnier over the past few days. She had curves that could barely be seen, and her hair was starting to get split ends.

Just then, the door opened. Standing at the doorway, was Joe. "Hey there," he smiled at her. He entered the room and closed the door behind him quickly before Cammie could see what was outside.

"Joe," Cammie walked towards him, relieved to see a familiar face. "What happened? Where am I?"

Joe's smile faded. "Listen carefully," he started. "I need tell you something very important."

"I was attacked," Cammie recalled. "Someone—an Outlander—started to fight me. And I went unconscious. And that same guy picked me up and took me somewhere."

"I know," Joe said quietly. "That guy works for me."

"What?" Cammie asked, trying to fit the pieces together. "Joe, you're not making any sense." Then her worst fear suddenly became true. "You're an Outlander," she said bitterly. "You're a traitor."

"I am," Joe said, no emotion showing on his face. "And I promise I will explain everything." He walked towards the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. "Follow me," he said.

Cammie hesitated for a second. Would she be safe going with Joe? He was an Outlander, after all. But something in the back of her mind told her that she could trust Joe and she walked towards him, following him out the door, which was now unlocked for some reason.

As they stepped outside the room, Joe and Cammie entered a dark hallway. Cammie figured she wasn't in Gallagher anymore. _So where am I?_

She followed Joe down the corridor, and made a right turn. The corridor opened up to a bigger hallway. There were several people walking through it, wearing all kinds of costumes. There were doctors, and soldiers, and regular civilians—yet none of these people looked familiar to Cammie. These people all snuck curious glances at Cammie, who stiffened and hurried to keep up with Joe.

Joe abruptly stopped at a doorway and pushed it open. Cammie reluctantly followed him inside. There was a large table with a screen on the top. The same screen was up against a wall. Cammie had seen this technology before. The same equipment was used in every watch tower in Gallagher.

Surrounding the table were six people. They all seemed to be around Cammie's age. Three girls and three boys. The three girls stood next to each other, giving small glances of curiosity.

The first girl was small and seriously skinny. She had blonde hair and kind warm eyes. The girl standing next to her had glowing cappuccino skin and dark hair. Her caramel eyes shone fiercely, and she looked like an Egyptian goddess. Next to her was yet another girl. She wore high-end clothes, had a diamond nose stud at least a carat and a half, and thick, shiny black hair as well as very bright blue eyes. She had probably seen many drooling guys in her life before.

The boys standing next to the three boys looked at Cammie with stares sparked with interest. The first boy had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He was very buff and had sparkling white teeth. The next boy was considerably smaller in size, and had a dark buzz cut. He awkwardly pushed his glasses up his nose every few seconds.

Cammie turned to the last boy, and her eyes widened. _That boy__…__._she wondered. _The dark haired guy who attacked me. _The boy gave her a smirk and Cammie narrowed her eyes at his confidence. His dark hair was slightly messy and green eyes sparkled. The same green eyes had stared down at her when he had lifted her up into his arms.

"Cammie," Joe cleared his throat. "These are my...students."

The girl with cappuccino skin raised her eyebrow. "Students?" she asked in a British accent.

"I know you!" Cammie burst out. "You were there when…" her voice trailed off.

The girl grinned at her and stepped forward. "Glad to see that you still have your memory. The name's Bex," she stuck out a hand and Cammie shook it. "And this is Liz," Bex indicated to the skinny blonde girl, "and Macey," she gestured to the girl with the nose piercing.

"And I'm Grant," the blonde boy piped up. "And these here are my bros—Jonas," he patted the boy with the glasses on the back, "and—"

"Zach," the dark haired boy interrupted. "Nice to meet you, Cammie." Staring into his face, Cammie couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked. _Like a mysterious, rugged type of handsome,_ she decided. _Definitely swoon-worthy._

"Nice to meet you, too," Cammie blushed.

"Okay then," Joe spoke up from beside Cammie. For a moment, Cammie forgot that Joe was still standing next to her. "Now that we've got the introductions out of the way…" he looked down at Cammie. "I guess I can—"

"Wait," Cammie interrupted, looking up at Joe. "Where's Josh?" Joe lowered his eyes. "Well?" she demanded.

"I'm so sorry Cammie," Liz said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Cammie asked, confused. "Wait...he's…_dead_?" she whispered in disbelief. "Josh is dead? What happened?"

Bex shook her head angrily. "The Circle's droids assassinated him is what happened."

"The Circle's droids?" Cammie repeated. "You're not making any sense—why would they do that?" she looked at Joe.

"A question we don't know now, but will find out later," Joe said tiredly. "I'm really sorry, Cammie."

"Why am I even here?" Cammie looked around the room. "I mean, you guys are all Outlanders, right? For all I know, you could kill me any second now."

"You're right," Macey spoke up with a smirk. "That is something we're capable of doing."

"Why don't you sit down?" Joe ignored Macey's comment and steered Cammie to one of the chairs in the room. "I'll explain everything."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So many of you guys are really confused right now. Like why is Joe an Outlander? What do Zach, Bex, Grant, Liz, and Macey have to do with the whole story? And why did the droids kill Josh? Oh, and if you guys are kinda confused about the whole droid thing, just picture the droids from the movie Oblivion. You know, the little robots shaped like spheres that fly around and shoot people? That's kinda how I imagine them to look like in this story. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I swear that (mostly) everything will be revealed in the next chapter. Oh, and the next chapter is in Zach's POV! So stay tuned :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. I'm on break the entire week, so I'll try to update a chapter a day or something. Just trying to keep you hooked, that's all.**

**You guys had a couple of questions, so I'm just gonna clarify some things. First things first, Cammie's dream. That was just a nightmare she had about her parents' death. I'm not saying that that was how her parents died in real life. That was just one interpretation. The dream doesn't really have a significance to the story except for the fact that Josh was the one who sort of "became the bad guy and killed Rachel."**

**GallagherGirls13BYE: **I swear, you're probably one of my favorite reviewers. I love reading your thoughts! They're so incredible! Thank you for your continuous support. If you had trouble understanding, the previous paragraph explains some stuff, and the chapter will have some clarifications.

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan: **Oooooh...I don't want to give away anything, but I like where you're going with this :)

**kaitgirl: **Just read the previous paragraph if you haven't already :)

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Ha ha, thanks :) Hope you like this chapter!

**Anyways, here's the next chapter, in Zach's POV, as promised :)**

**Disclaimer: Owning the Gallagher Girls characters would be awesome and all, but I don't, so yeah...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**Zach's POV**

**One week earlier...**

Zach sat in his apartment room with one arm draped over the side of his couch. The sun was just rising over the horizon. The TV was on, with a police drama blaring through the speakers. Zach stared absentmindedly at the screen as an officer interrogated a suspect. _This is so stupid, _he rolled his eyes. _It was obviously the detective's wife._

Just then, his earpiece buzzed. He tapped his ear to turn it on. "Yeah?" he answered.

_"It's me,"_ Joe's voice crackled with static into his ear. _"I have a new mission for you guys."_

And just like that, Zach was onto his feet. _A new mission_, he thought excitedly. His mind began to race with anticipation. "I'm listening."

_"Get the others, and I'll send some files with the descriptions. Ask Liz and Jonas to run through the procedures after that,"_ Joe replied.

"On it," Zach threw on his jacket and shoes and exited his apartment.

_"I don't have time to explain it all now,"_ Joe said. _"I'll I can say is that I need you to get her out of Gallagher."_ He clicked off.

Zach froze. _Get her out of Gallagher._ Ever since Zach was old enough to run missions, Joe had told him that one day, when she was old enough, Joe would need Zach's help getting his daughter out of Gallagher. Cameron was her name. Zach had seen a couple of pictures of her, but he had never met her in person.

Zach hurried to Grant's room. He knocked on the door many times, but there was no answer from the other side. He tried the handle and was surprised to see that it turned easily in his hand. He pushed the door open and walked inside. The lights were off, but Zach knew that Grant was probably still asleep inside.

"Grant!" he called, and walked into his bedroom. Sure enough, Grant was sleeping, but he wasn't the only one. Tangled under the covers was Bex, soundly snoring next to Grant. Zach rolled his eyes and flicked the lights on.

Grant groaned and put a hand over his eyes. "What's the big idea?" He sat up and his eyes widened when he saw Zach. "Oh crap," He put his hand out and shook Bex until she was awake.

"Get your bloody hand off of me," Bex grumbled. She rolled over and squinted. "Is that you, Zach?"

"Joe wants us to go over the new mission," Zach said.

"New mission?" Grant echoed. He stumbled out of bed and pulled on a shirt. "I'm coming."

Zach nodded. "Oh, and Grant?" he asked. "I suggest that you start being less conscious about your relationship and handle it like Bex." he smirked and walked out of the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grant called after him.

Zach just shook his head and left the apartment. He called Jonas on his comms. "Jonas, turn on the search system. Joe sent us some new files." By the time Zach reached the room where the group usually met, Liz and Jonas had turned on the computers and were going through the files.

"Good morning, Zach," Liz smiled sweetly as Zach walked in. "We were just reading the overview."

"What does it say?" Zach asked.

"Just some stuff about getting a girl named Cameron out of Gallagher," Jonas replied. "I'll pull up some images of her."

Grant and Bex walked into the room. Bex stopped short once she saw the rest of the gang. "Wait, where's Macey?"

Grant groaned. "Great…."

"I'll call her," Liz quickly put in. "She's never mad at me." Liz stepped out of the room and Jonas continued working on the files that Joe sent.

Zach's earpiece buzzed and he clicked it on. "Joe?" he asked.

_"Yeah, it's me,"_ Joe replied solemnly._ "Put me on speaker."_

Zach placed his earpiece on the portable speaker on Jonas's desk and instantly the sound amplified. "There you go."

_"Good, is everyone there?"_ Joe asked.

"Now they are," Macey walked into the room, the sound of her heels ricocheted off of the walls. Liz followed timidly and took her spot next to Jonas.

_"Anyways,"_ Joe continued._ "This mission is very important, so listen up. I need you guys to get Cammie out of Gallagher and destroy the village."_

Zach sucked in a sharp breath. The others looked surprised too.

"Destroy the village? Joe, I know that we're Outlanders and all, but," Bex frowned. "This is your home we're talking about."

_"I know,"_ Joe replied. _"All the better reason to get rid of it. We need to stop the Circle from killing off all these humans. In fact, I'm surprised that Catherine hasn't even killed me yet. I'm the only person standing in her way of what she wants. She's after Cammie, and we need to get her out of there before Catherine does something dangerous."_

Zach's mood darkened. Of course it was his mother that was after Cammie. Of course he was the son of the crazy psychopathic maniac that wanted the future of the human society to be exactly her way. The others glanced cautiously at him, to make sure he wouldn't explode in rage.

"What do we have to do?" Macey asked.

_"I want you guys to assemble all your best soldiers," Joe said. "Create the best army yet. You guys will attack next week, at half past noon. As the leader of Gallagher, it will be suspicious if I don't request for any droids from _Cavan_, so train your soldiers well enough to fight a couple of machines. When you guys arrive at Gallagher, I want you to be positioned beyond the watchtowers. I need you to be camouflaged with the forest, so none of the guards spot any of you. Wear your masks. We'll be talking through earpieces. _

_"Before you attack the village, get rid of the soldiers in the watch towers. I don't want any calls coming in from there saying that there are Outlanders located outside the village. Keep the east entrance open. Surround all the other sides of the village. You guys will escape from the east side. When you start fighting, none of the civilians should be killed. Just a bullet in the legs, all right? And I don't want any casualties on your side. If it's on my side, that's okay."_

_"Now, here's the important part,"_ Joe paused._ "Zach, I want you to go inside the village while the others are battling and make your way to the cafeteria. Cammie will be inside there. The door will be barricaded, so you will have to bust it down. Once you're in, get Cammie out of there. Again, don't kill any of the civilians. Take Cammie and inject her with something that will knock her out. Something strong, but make sure she doesn't stay unconscious for too long. Liz can handle that stuff. Once she's unconscious, take her back to the base. The rest of you guys will leave once the village is destroyed. I'll follow you after a couple of hours, got it?"_

"Yeah," the gang replied in unison.

_"Jonas, can you pull up some of the pictures I sent of Cammie?"_ Joe asked.

"Sure," Jonas clicked a few button and a couple of images of a girl popped up. In one picture, she was smiling widely and was standing in front of a big tall building. Zach stared at her face. Cammie was a beautiful girl with long dishwater blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her picture made him feel so peaceful and happy.

Grant wolf whistled and Bex smacked him in the arm.

"She's very pretty," Liz complimented.

Zach averted his eyes from the first picture and moved to the second one. Here she was standing in the middle of two people. One was Joe, and the other was a boy her age with dark hair and blue eyes. "Who's the dreamboat?" Zach asked with a twinge of jealously in his voice.

_"That's Josh, Cammie's boyfriend,"_ Joe replied. _"I want one of you guys to knock him unconscious as well and bring him with you. I'll leave that to Bex and Macey."_

"Aye, aye, captain," Bex nodded and glanced at Macey.

_"All right then,"_ Joe said. _"Get to work."_

* * *

><p>The gang spent the next few days training the cadets at the Outlander base to fight well. The soldiers spent hour after hour learning different techniques in punching, kicking, and all that good stuff. Zach would return to his apartment late at night, exhausted, but excited at the same time. He felt that there was something different about this mission. Zach also felt different too. He felt all tingly inside whenever someone started talking about Cammie. Whenever he slept, Zach would have dreams of her. Zach hadn't even met her, so he didn't know what was going on.<p>

Finally, after six days of physical training, Zach lay on his bed in his apartment, talking to Joe about the mission.

_"You know, I just realized this,"_ Joe said over his comms. _"When you go to the cafeteria to get Cammie, she may put up a fight with you."_

"What's wrong with that?" Zach asked.

_"Don't underestimate Cammie,"_ Joe chuckled. _"She's fiercer than she looks. If she starts to fight you, just go your hardest and knock her out quick, all right?"_

"I'll keep that in mind," Zach smiled to himself. _Cammie's a total knockout. She's pretty and can fight well._

_"Zach,"_ Joe started. _"Good luck out there, okay?"_

"Don't worry," Zach smirked. "I won't need it."

* * *

><p>"Is everyone ready?" Grant yelled to the crowd of cadets waiting to get out on the battlefield.<p>

The crowd cheered and lifted their guns in the air.

"I can't hear you!" Grant shouted. The crowd roared even louder this time and Zach grinned as the adrenaline flowed through him.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Grant pumped a fist in the air. "Let's move!"

The soldiers piled into small planes and flew towards Gallagher. After about an hour, the plane landed and the soldiers filed off. Jonas and Liz would stay on the plane while the others would lead the soldiers to Gallagher.

The group started walking through the forest. They moved swiftly and silently, being careful not to attract any attention. Right now, the Outlanders were about a mile and a half from Gallagher. Zach glanced around and saw Bex walking quietly beside Grant and Macey. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was a quarter until noon. He told all the soldiers to put on their masks. Every soldier in the Outlander army had a mask with special powers. Zach's gave him extra strength and power.

As the gang kept walking, Zach's earpiece suddenly buzzed. "Joe?" he asked. He looked at the other and judging from their expressions, they had received the call as well.

Macey motioned for the other soldiers to stop moving forward.

_"There's a problem."_ Joe said urgently. _"I can't find Cammie."_

"She's gone?" Bex asked.

_"My guess is that she left the village with Josh,"_ Joe replied._ "I told her to come to the Council Room at noon, but I don't know if she'll listen."_

"Do you want us to delay the attack?" Grant asked.

_"No, no stick with the plan,"_ Joe said. _"Hopefully she'll turn up soon."_

"Okay," Zach said. He couldn't help but worry though. Didn't Cammie know that it was dangerous staying out in the middle of the woods? _It was probably that Jimmy guy that made her go._

Zach turned and told the cadets that they could keep walking towards the village. As they neared Gallagher, the sound of rushing water could be heard. They had reached the lake that was half a mile away from Gallagher. He looked down at his watch. It was just about noon. "Hurry up guys! We can't be late!" he called out to the rest of the soldiers. They started to walk faster around the lake when Macey stopped suddenly. She pointed towards the waterfall and mouthed the words, _"Cammie's in there."_

Zach didn't know how Macey had seen Cammie behind the waterfall. He didn't ask. The only thing he was worried about was scaring Cammie back to Gallagher. He gave Grant a meaningful look, silently telling him to go on with the act. Grant got the message and yelled out in a loud voice, "Sir! Wait!"

"What is it?" Zach said in an impatient voice. He slowly walked over to the lake and caught sight of a pair of blue eyes peering out from behind the waterfall. _Cammie_.

"The grass—it's wet," Grant continued with his act. "That can only mean one thing. Someone was in the water not too long ago. And they're probably still here since the grass hasn't dried yet.."

"Search the area," Zach beckoned for Bex and Macey. "There's no place for them to hide." A couple of soldiers waded into the pond and stomped around, careful not to 'accidentally look' at Cammie's hiding place. If Zach wanted to scare Cammie back to Gallagher, the only way was to pretend that they hadn't seen her behind the waterfall.

After a while, Bex declared, "There's no one here."

"Then let's leave," Zach said, really meaning it. "Joe is expecting us, and he's expecting an attack in an hour or so." _There, that should do it_, Zach thought. No way was Cammie not going to go back to Gallagher after that statement.

The soldiers trudged on, and soon found themselves positioned beyond the watch towers, keeping an eye on the village. Grant sent some soldiers to go and take out the guards posted at the watch towers. Zach called Joe to tell them that they were in position. Joe reported that Cammie had come back to Gallagher, meaning that she had fallen for the Outlander trap that Zach and his friends had placed. Then, at exactly one o'clock, Zach looked at the other soldiers and nodded. They crept up to the gates of the village and barged in like a swarm of bees.

Zach left the crowd in search of the cafeteria. He looked at the GPS on his watch and followed the directions until he found himself in front of a big grey building. He used a large boulder to bust the door open and entered the room. Cammie stood there with her gun raised to his level. She looked so bold and fierce, standing there with the gun in her hand, that it took every muscle in Zach's body to refrain himself from going any closer to her.

Cammie was standing next to three men who were also armed with weapons. Zach quickly pulled out his gun and shot them in the legs. The men fell to the ground, and Cammie looked down at them in horror.

Zach dropped his gun on the ground and raised his hands up. "Come with me," he told Cammie.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Cammie said, taking a step closer to Zach.

_Damn, she's got some attitude...but I like it._

The villagers behind her cowered in a corner. She started firing bullets, and Zach flinched as the bullets hit his bulletproof vest. He advanced on her and soon the bullets ran out in her gun. She threw it aside and drew a long silver dagger. Grinning smugly, Cammie took her fighting stance and held the dagger up.

_Oh crap,_ Zach thought. _She's got a knife. _"Trust me," he said, actually feeling a little worried for his safety. "You don't want to do that."

"Do I?" Cammie lunged for Zach's face and swiped her knife inches in front of his nose. Zach ducked instinctively and punched her in the gut. This was the part that would make Cammie unconscious. The black gloves he was wearing had little spikes on them that held a chemical that would knock someone out in a matter of seconds. Zach hated using this against Cammie, but Joe had insisted.

Cammie fell to her knees while gasping in pain. Zach reached his arms out worriedly and caught her from falling to the ground. Throwing off his mask, he lifted her up and held her in his arms. Zach murmured words of comfort into her ear. "It'll be okay. Everything will be just fine." _She's even more beautiful up close._ Zach stared at her as she slowly slipped away, unconscious in a peaceful sleep. Zach hurried out of the room to take Cammie back to the base.

* * *

><p>Zach was sitting on the plane with Grant, Bex, Macey, and Cammie. Liz and Jonas were sitting in the pilot's cabin, and Jonas was at the wheel. Zach couldn't help but steal glances at Cammie every now and then. She just seemed so breathtaking and angelic.<p>

The plane touched down and the gang clambered out of the cabin. The soldiers were piling out of the other planes that had landed and were making their way back inside the base. The gang went inside and Liz went to fetch a gurney. They placed Cammie on it and wheeled her to the room where she would be staying. Zach stayed behind a little bit and claimed that he was just keeping an eye out for her. Eventually, Joe showed up and came to Cammie's room. He wore as somber expression, and looked a little sad.

"What's wrong?" Zach asked as Joe sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

"Josh," Joe replied quietly. "He died in action."

"Did one of the soldiers kill him—" Zach began to ask, but Joe interrupted.

"No," he said. "It was a droid."

"What?" Zach asked, puzzled. "I thought droids only followed orders from—"

"The people in charge," Joe replied. "I may have been in charge at the moment, but it was really the Circle that created that droid."

"So, you're saying…" Zach trailed off.

"Yes," Joe sighed, rubbing his temples. "The Circle killed Josh."

* * *

><p>Zach had left Cammie's room a little after Joe arrived. Now, he was in the meeting room with the rest of the gang, waiting for Joe to come back with Cammie. The door opened and Joe walked in, Cammie trailing hesitantly after him. Zach immediately straightened. Bex introduced the girls and when Grant was about to introduce Zach, he cut in and introduced himself.<p>

Cammie blushed when he spoke and murmured, "Nice to meet you, too."

_Score!_ Zach thought excitedly.

As Cammie sat down, Joe said, "I guess I should start at the beginning."

"Maybe you should," Cammie said icily. _Forget attitude, this girl's got some temper,_ Zach thought, amused.

Joe winced a little at her coldness and Zach felt sort of bad for him. It wasn't every day you had to lie to your half daughter for your entire life.

"It starts back when your dad was alive," Joe began carefully. Cammie's eyes widened a little, but she suppressed any other reaction.

"Do you know who Catherine Goode is?" Joe asked Cammie.

Zach stiffened. He knew where this was going. Joe glanced at him hesitantly.

"Zach, why don't you get out of here," Bex said. "It won't do you any good listening to this."

Zach nodded numbly and walked towards the door. As he passed Cammie, he lingered by the door for a second, catching a faint smell of her strawberry scented shampoo, but then pushed the door open and left the room.

Bex was right. It wouldn't have done him any good listening to the story of his mother. Especially after what she did to Cammie's family. And what she planned to do to Cammie.

Zach walked down hall and stepped into an elevator on his right. The elevator took him to his room, and he fell onto his bed. All he thought about for the next hour or so was Cammie. Cammie's eyes, Cammie's skin, Cammie's hair. He even went as far as imagining her lips on his. He wondered what they would taste like….Well, there was only one way to find out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, that was a long one. I just wanted to recap what happened with Zach before the attack and kinda explain things a little. I hope you enjoyed that, though. I included a tiny bit of Zammie (if Zach's thoughts on Cammie counts as Zammie), for your guy's sake. And I love reading your reviews, so remember to do that :) Okay, then I'll see you guys later. Have a nice day!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I have a new chapter for you guys :) The first part has a lot information about why the Circle is bad (as Katniss979-Goode-Morgan guessed), so you have to read that thoroughly. It might be a little far-fetched, so sorry about that. But, before you guys go on and start reading, I just wanted to say that Colleen (GallagherGirls13) and Katniss979-Goode-Morgan are THE BEST! They're just, like, amazing! Thank you so much for being there every chapter and just being awesome. You guys rock XD. Anyways...**

**GallagherGirls13: **I think I'm in love with you! (Please don't take me seriously) You're soooo nice! Thank you for all your love! xoxo

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan:** I'm glad you liked that part :) Let's see what deviling schemes the Circle is up to now...

**Guest:** Awww...thanks. You're too kind :)

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Haha, I try my best :) But there's a very big plot behind Josh's death, which will be revealed near the end of the story.

**Disclaimer: I'm actually getting really tired of these, but for everyone else that cares so much, I don't own the Gallagher Girls characters.**

**Oh yeah, and this chapter is back to Cammie's POV, sorry :(**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**Cammie POV  
><strong>

After Zach left, Cammie focused her attention back on Joe. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "So, as I was saying. Do you know who Catherine Goode is?"

Cammie nodded. "She's the leader of the Circle of Cavan." As a matter of fact, Cammie had heard her name before a thousand times. Her picture was everywhere around the village. Whenever she made a speech, Cammie would sit at home with Josh and watch her on the TV. Catherine had fiery red hair and a beautiful face. Her green eyes made her expression seem all serious and business like. _Come to think of it,_ Cammie thought. _Her eyes sort of remind me of Zach's eyes. _

Joe nodded. "Yes, you're right. You've seen her on TV before, haven't you?" He paused. "What I need you to hear is the true story of Catherine and how exactly she became leader of the villages."

Cammie raised an eyebrow. "How is this going to explain anything—" she began.

"Just listen," Joe cut in sternly. Cammie closed her mouth and leaned back in her chair, allowing Joe to begin.

"You know that your parents and I were all raised in Gallagher," Joe started. "Back then, Gallagher was only one village, with thousands of people. Catherine was one of the children our age. But none of the kids in the village paid much attention to her. Even when school was in session, Catherine would never show up. She would spend hours away in her room, doing who knows what. She would never show up to play with the other children, or got to parties. Sometimes we wouldn't even see her face for a day or two. No one had any idea what was happening.

"As we started getting older, different competitions and events were held in our village to test the children's minds. Everyone suspected that your dad would win all of them, of course, but surprisingly, it was Catherine. She won all of the competitions. Academic, physical, mental, everything. We had no idea how she was doing it. Catherine seemed like the least likely person to win. Then, one day, Rachel…er…your mother, snuck into Catherine's room to see what she did in there, tucked away from everyone else. She found a horrifying sight. Catherine had vials and bottles of chemicals all around her room. She also found several needles there as well. There was a notebook opened to several journal entries. Your mother read them and found out that Catherine had been injecting herself with all types of poisons and toxins."

"What?" Cammie stared at Joe. "Why would she do that?"

"You'll see," Macey spoke up. "Unfortunately, Catherine caught your mother in her room. She confronted Catherine about the poisons. Catherine responded that she hated the nature of humans. That humans would just ruin the world and never get anywhere in life. So, she wanted to make a better type of human. One that was faster, stronger, smarter—something that was 10 times more powerful than a single human being. She had made the formula, and all she needed was a subject to test it out on. So she tried it on herself. Sure enough, she had gotten immediate results. Then came the bad part…"

_Where is this story even going? _Cammie thought to herself. _I don't even believe any word she's saying. _

"Catherine started attacking Rachel, using her new 'powers.' Your mother was a good fighter, but Catherine easily overpowered her. Thankfully, some of our friends came in to check on Rachel. They found her fighting Catherine and quickly locked her up. They knew that Catherine was a dangerous person, and could easily kill someone," Macey finished.

"She was ruthless, Cammie; you've gotta believe that," Grant put in. "Catherine even admitted into murdering her own parents!"

_She killed her own parents?_ Cammie thought in shock.

"Anyways, a lot of the citizens of Gallagher decided to banish her from the village," Joe continued. "Catherine, being the cunning person that she is, promised not to hurt the human civilization in only one condition."

"What?" Cammie asked, not really sure she wanted to know.

"That she became ruler of every human being on Earth. Ultimately, people agreed. So off Catherine went. She had a bunch of followers who believed in her...cause. She made them build _Cavan_, and soon, there was a big floating ship in the sky. Catherine started making her own rules. For example, there were to be several villages instead of just one. And that her most loyal followers were to be called the Circle of Cavan. And that droids would now serve as military reinforcements. And lastly, no one was allowed to come to _Cavan_. After the village was divided, people went about their normal lives. Your parents got married, and Matt became leader of Gallagher.

"Then, one day, Catherine made a new rule. All of the villagers' food would be delivered from _Cavan_," Joe paused.

"Wait, what?" Cammie asked in disbelief. "The food we eat every day is from _Cavan_?"

This time, Bex shook her head and said, "Let me explain. When Catherine made that rule, everyone was a bit suspicious. The food started arriving every morning and your father and the other leaders were ordered to give it to their villagers. Your father ran a few tests on the food just to make sure nothing was wrong with it, and he found something interesting. The food contained some sort of unidentified substance. Your father made sure that your mum and Joe, and some of the other council officials didn't eat anything. Your father noticed that his villagers had started to change after eating the Circle's food. They started to speak good things about Catherine and started following her orders more efficiently. It was very strange. Your father decided to take action, and formed a group of people that were against Catherine's ideas."

"Outlanders," Cammie said softly. "My father—he was the first Outlander?"

Liz nodded. "People started joining him, and soon we started to destroy the villages one by one. Catherine found out, and boy was she mad. She wanted all Outlanders hunted down and killed. But, she had no idea that your father was in charge of the Outlander group. The villagers followed Catherine's orders, and your parents and Joe had to pretend they did too," Liz paused. "Which is why Joe acted as if he hated Outlanders in front of you."

Cammie took a moment to let the information sink in. "So what you're saying," she began slowly, "is that the Outlanders are the good guys and the Circle are the bad guys?"

"Yes," Joe nodded. "When your parents died, Matt made me promise that I would take care of you like he would have wanted. So I made sure that you didn't eat anything from _Cavan_."

"What about Josh?" Cammie asked thoughtfully.

Joe lowered his eyes. "Matt just gave me the job of protecting you. Plus, I didn't have enough food to give—"

"You let Josh die at the hands of Catherine!" Cammie stared at Joe in anger. "I cared about him, he was—"

"I know!" Joe said harshly. "Would you give it a rest?" Josh is gone, okay? He's dead, and I'm sorry about that. But when something tragic happens here, we just move on with our lives. Sometimes, Cammie, you just gotta learn to live with sacrifices." He stood up by the end of his rant. "I have to go, I'll see you guys at dinner." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Cammie sighed, frustrated and leaned back into her chair. She felt so tired and all this information was making her mind buzz with even more questions.

"C'mon." Cammie looked up to see Macey, Bex, and Liz all smiling down at her.

"We'll show you around," Liz said sweetly.

Cammie nodded and stood up. She followed the girls out of the room. They walked down the hallway and onto a small plank that was raised high into the air, sort of like a bridge.

"Welcome to the operating base of the Outlanders," Bex grinned and spread her arms wide.

Cammie looked around her. There were tons of people working and bustling about. There were many rooms surrounding the girls. Some rooms held people who were operating computers, or working in science lags and some rooms held soldiers who were doing military training.

"What do you call this place?" Cammie asked in wonder.

"Oh, this dump?" Macey scoffed. "Joe decided to call it Blackthorne."

* * *

><p>"Blackthorne," Cammie tested out the word on her lips. She turned to the other girls. "How long have you guys stayed here?"<p>

"All our lives," Bex replied earnestly. "Our parents all lived in Gallagher, and when they died, Joe decided to take us in."

"And you were raised here," Cammie finished. "Is it safe—I mean, has Catherine ever found out or—"

"If you're asking if she knows where this place is, then no, she doesn't," Macey interrupted. "The location is classified and top secret."

"Has Catherine ever tried searching for it?" Cammie asked.

"Of, tons of times," Liz grinned. "But, she's never found it."

Cammie nodded in relief. "Why is Catherine after me?"

Bex shrugged. "It could be something personal; in between your family or something."

Cammie lowered her eyes. Of course it was something personal. _Why wouldn't it be?_ she thought sarcastically. _It's probably something stupid,_ she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to go," Cammie spoke up. She stared at the three disappointed pairs of eyes looking back at her. "It's been a long day, and I kinda just need to be alone for a little bit."

"But don't you want to see the rest of Blackthorne?" Macey began.

"Macey!" Liz piped up. "I'm sure Cammie's very tired right now." She turned towards Cammie, "You go rest. We'll call you when it's time for dinner."

"See you later Cammie," Bex patted her back and gave Cammie a wavering smile.

Cammie nodded goodbye and turned away from the girls, hoping that she wouldn't get lost on her way back. She walked down the halls and took a couple of turns here and there. It was at least ten minutes later when Cammie realized that she was, in fact, lost. She looked around her and sighed when none of the rooms next to her seemed familiar in any way. Most of the other workers had gone back to their rooms, and the hallways were empty.

Just then Cammie heard a voice speak out from behind her. "Lost?"

Cammie whirled around and saw Zach leaning against one of the doors that fed into the rooms in the hallway. A smirk was plastered on his face and he did seem quite amused. _Darn that stupid smirk of his, _Cammie thought angrily.

"No," Cammie frowned and crossed her arms. Then, she figured that there was no point in lying in front of Zach—he could see right through her. Cammie let her arms fall and scowled. "Maybe."

Zach chuckled. "C'mon." He reached behind him and twisted the knob of the door he was standing in front of. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside. "What are you waiting for?" he asked as Cammie stood there, not moving a foot.

"Is that your room?" she asked.

"Yeah…why?" he replied and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going in there with you," Cammie retorted.

Zach snorted. "Why, because you're afraid I'm gonna—"

Cammie's face turned red. "No!" she said quickly. "Please don't continue that sentence," she sighed. "And if you really think I'm scared, then you're wrong." She walked forward and entered Zach's room with a smug look on her face.

"Great," Zach smiled brightly. "I was beginning to think that you would stick with your stubborn little five year old side."

"I do not act like a five year old," Cammie replied hotly. She walked into his living room and sat down on his couch. She noticed then that his apartment—at least the room she was in—seemed really…clean. Like he was expecting someone.

Zach shook his head and sat down in an arm chair opposite from her. "So," he began, rubbing his hands together.

"So," Cammie repeated, and looked at him pointedly. "Didn't you want to ask me something? You kinda invited me here yourself."

"Oh, I just asked you to see if you would say yes or not," Zach smiled sheepishly. Cammie rolled her eyes and leaned back into the cushions.

"Anyways, Gallagher Girl," Zach said. "How's your day been going?"

"Gallagher Girl?" Cammie repeated. "That's, like, the worst nickname I have ever heard."

"Then you haven't officially met Grant yet," Zach smirked.

_Again with the smirking, really?_ Cammie thought.

"He comes up with the worst nicknames," Zach continued on. "Just wait until you see him later."

For a moment, Cammie had blanked out. She had lost herself in Zach's green eyes. They were mesmerizing and Cammie found herself glancing into them from time to time.

Then she realized that Zach had said something. _What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, nicknames._ "I'll keep that in mind," Cammie murmured, but was thinking how a nickname could possibly be worse than Gallagher Girl.

"Also, you didn't answer my question," Zach stood up and walked over to the couch that Cammie was sitting in. "How's your day been going?"

"Awesome," Cammie said sarcastically. "I was going about a normal day at Gallagher when suddenly Outlanders decide to attack the village, I get kidnapped and _punched in the stomach_, Joe reveals that he's really an Outlander, and I get bombarded with a crazy story about Joe's childhood when I'm still getting over the fact that I got beat up by _you_ in the Gallagher cafeteria!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Zach rubbed the back of his neck. "Boss's orders," he paused. "Um, so you know how Joe had started talking about Catherine Goode, right? What exactly did he say about her?" He leaned forward without realizing it, but Cammie—who was extremely consious at this point—noticed that his face was a couple of inches away from hers. Cammie stared at his eyes again, trying to look away, but failing.

"Um, just some stuff about her childhood and how she became the leader of the Circle and all," Cammie replied, puzzled. "Why, is there something else I need to know?"

"Oh, no, no," Zach shook his head. "I just wanted to…you know…" he trailed off and stared at the carpet.

"Yeah, of course…um," she looked desperately around the room, trying to think of something they could talk about. "Oh, hey, why did you leave the room earlier today when Joe asked me about Catherine?" she changed the subject.

"Well," Zach said. "I just get really emotional whenever I hear the story."

"You know that I don't believe a word you said, right?" Cammie asked.

Zach shook his head tiredly. "Gallagher Girl..." he began but trailed off. He looked down at her face. "You don't need to know, it's not important."

"But," Cammie stumbled with her words. "I need to understand—"

"Do you really?" Zach smiled at her. Cammie could feel his hot breath on her face. Her cheeks turned scarlet.

"Yes I do," Cammie said. "I need to convince myself that there's a reason this whole Catherine thing makes sense. Like why she wants to kill me, and why—"

"Catherine has her reasons. And so do I," Zach leaned closer towards Cammie. Before she realized what was happening, Zach's lips were on hers. Cammie's eyes widened with surprise, but she kept silent. She felt the way Zach's hands wove through her hair and how her bare skin burned when it met his skin. Zach kissed her heard and roughly, as if he was trying to take her in all at once. Cammie resisted the urge to breathe and willed herself to be in perfect sync with Zach. They sat there for a couple of minutes and Cammie felt as if she was in heaven.

Suddenly, Zach pulled away, panting wildly. Little beads of sweat dotted his forehead and he held a steady gaze at the floor.

Cammie leaned back tentatively and moved her hair away from her face. "Wow, that was, um..."

"Cammie, I…" For some reason, Zach's eyes couldn't meet her gaze. "I'm sorry."

She frowned, unsure if she should say anything else. He didn't call her Gallagher Girl. Not even Cameron. Just _Cammie_. "No, I'm sorry," Cammie apologized. She stood up from her seat. "I shouldn't have been so forward, I—"

"Don't," Zach turned away from her as if he was embarrassed. "Cammie, I think—that you had better go."

"Go?" Cammie said, hurt. She blinked to prevent the tears from falling. "Zach, look, I'm sorry that—"

"No," Zach said harshly. "God, Cammie. I shouldn't have even let you in." He looked up at Cammie and his eyes were full of pain, sadness, and longing. "Please leave."

_What on earth?_ Cammie thought. Her expression turned from sad and sympathetic to a look of hurt and rage. "Fine," she spat out. "If that's what you want." Cammie stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

She hurried down the hall and found herself standing in front of the door that led to her room. _Great,_ she thought to herself. _Why couldn't I have just not gotten lost before? Then, I wouldn't have walked into this mess._ Cammie collapsed onto her bed without changing.

When Liz came by her room to call her for dinner, Cammie told her that she didn't feel like eating anything. All she could think about was the kiss and Zach's words. _I shouldn't have even let you in._ Cammie groaned and bashed her head with her pillow before drifting off to sleep, with the image of the kiss replaying over and over again inside her mind and haunting her dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So...how was it? Did you guys all start fangirling at that one moment? XD Anyways, I know it got kinda rocky at the end of the chapter, but don't worry, everything will go back to the way it was. I want to make this story one where Zach isn't really sure if liking Cammie is worth it or not (because of the whole crazy psycho mother thing). So there's that and I'll try to update the next chapter soon! It'll probably be about Cammie's life at Blackthorne. I'll throw in a couple of chapters about that, and then the real action will begin :) I'll see you during Chapter 7, bye!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys, here's your next chapter. I'm trying to get a chapter or two in before school starts again and I get loaded with homework. Enjoy :)**

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan:** Hahaa, yeah. Things will get better, don't worry :)

**GallagherGirls13BYE:** Omg you're kind words are making me feel so...aargh words can't describe :) Anyways thank you for reviewing!

**dzgirl11:** Hahaa, spoken like a true fangirl :p. Thank you for reviewing!

**Guest: **Here's the next chapter for you!

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Hahaa yeah, I like torturing my readers that way :p

**BooksLover2000:** :D :D :D

**Disclaimer: All rights (except plot & setting) belong to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie woke up the next morning, forgetting about yesterday's events. She sat up and looked around the room. As the sight non-familiar walls of Cammie's new home settled in, all her memories came flooding back into her brain. The Outlander attack, Catherine's story, Zach's kiss. Cammie blushed at the last thought. She stepped out of bed and padded softly into the bathroom. After taking a shower, she found a pile of clothes in her dresser with a note on top. _Hope these fit –Bex :) _was scrawled on the paper. Cammie silently thanked Bex and slipped her clothes on. She knew that she would have to show up for breakfast, otherwise it would seem a little rude. Cammie left her apartment and walked down the hallway, asking a couple of people on the way for directions.

The breakfast hall was apparently called the cafeteria, just like in Gallagher. It was a large room with scattered tables and a long counter in the front. Cammie entered and spotted Macey, Bex, Liz, Grant, and Jonas sitting at a table in the corner. She walked over to the table and Grant smiled as he saw her approaching.

"Camster!" he yelled and threw her arms around her.

_Wow, Zach was right,_ Cammie thought. _Camster, seriously?_ Cammie stood stiffly and didn't move until finally, Grant stood back and ruffled her hair.

"Hey, Cammie. How was your sleep?" Liz asked.

"Fine," Cammie sat down at the table. Her stomach started to rumble as she glanced at the food that was sitting on the table.

"Here, help yourself," Liz took a plate of pancakes and handed it to Cammie.

"Thank you. Oh, and Bex, thanks for the clothes," Cammie smiled at her.

Bex waved her hand dismissively. "Anytime."

"Hey, we're going to go now," Grant and Jonas stood up. "We'll be in the lab. And before I forget; Joe said that we have to meet in the conference room in an hour."

"Kay, bye," Liz waved to the boys as they left.

"Where is Joe, anyway?" Cammie asked the girls.

"Dunno," Bex answered. "He doesn't really show up for meals. You only really see him during meetings."

Cammie nodded and glanced at Macey, who had been sitting quietly. She leaned forward and looked Cammie in the eye.

"So," Macey said. "We didn't see you at all after we showed you around yesterday." She raised a questioning eyebrow. "Where were you?"

"Um," Cammie started. "In my room," she lied.

"The entire time?" Bex asked doubtfully. "Because when I went to drop of your clothes, you weren't there."

Cammie deflated and looked at Bex with a sheepish smile.

"I know that look," Macey pointed a finger at Cammie's face. "You were at someone else's room last night. And, judging by the way you're acting," Macey chuckled. "I'd go ahead and say that you were at Zach's."

"What?" Cammie sputtered. "Zach?" She faked an annoyed look. "Come on, you know how immature Zach is."

"Please," Liz shook her head. "Don't every try lying again. You're terrible at it."

Cammie scowled and sat back in her chair.

"So you don't deny being in Zach's room last night!" Macey said excitedly. Again, Cammie said nothing and only glared at Macey.

"Did you guys do anything?" Bex asked slowly.

"It was perfectly normal night," Cammie assured the girls. "All Zach did was properly introduce himself."

Bex snorted. "Zach? Talking about himself. Yeah, I'd like to see that happen."

"As long as you didn't…you know," Macey lowered her voice. "_Do_ anything with him." Her eyes widened when she saw Cammie's cheeks turn red. "Oh my gosh! You did it!"

"Keep your voice down," Cammie hissed. "You can't tell anyone. And we did nothing that serious. It was literally a kiss that lasted a couple of minutes."

"Okay, fine, I promise I won't tell anyone," Macey smiled. "I knew you liked him though! I could tell by the way you were looking at him yesterday."

"Was it that obvious?" Cammie groaned.

"Oh, don't worry," Liz patted Cammie's shoulder. "He likes you too. When you were unconscious, he stayed by your side 24/7."

"Really?" Cammie asked. "Huh. Well, it doesn't matter now. I'm pretty sure he hates me." She looked at the girls. "He shut me out last night."

"I can go punch him right now if you'd like," Bex started to stand, but Cammie stopped her. "It's okay."

"Don't worry, it'll all blow over," Macey assured Cammie. "He's in his room right now if you want to talk it out…" she added slyly.

"No, I don't," Cammie said defiantly. "I think I'm over Zach now." She stood up and stared down at the other girls. "You wanna show me the rest of Blackthorne?"

"Sure," the girls replied in unison and walked out of the cafeteria with Cammie.

* * *

><p>After walking around Blackthorne for at least an hour, Cammie's legs were beginning to get tired. Yet Liz told her that there was still a lot to see in the building.<p>

"Maybe you should meet some of the students," Bex suggested.

"Okay," Cammie answered, hoping that this would be the last stop of the day.

The girls dragged Cammie to the girls' common room, which was where most of the girls spent their time. As they entered, a collective hush fell throughout the room. Cammie stood timidly as fifty pairs of eyes stared back at her.

"Guys," Macey announced. "This is Cammie Morgan. She's new here, and she's Joe's daughter."

"Hi," Cammie gave a small wave.

The girls started talking excitedly and crowded around Cammie. Most of the girls were her age, if not younger.

"Hi! I'm Courtney Bauer!" one girl extended her hand out in the midst of all the pushing and shoving.

"Uh, nice to meet you, Courtney," Cammie smiled and shook her hand. She looked at Bex, Macey, and Liz for help.

"Okay everybody! Get into a line!" Bex shouted. The girls immediately responded and formed into a straight line.

"Eva Alvarez," the girl at the front of the line gushed. "It's so cool to see you in person."

"Um, thanks?" The reply came out more like question than a statement. Cammie had no idea that she was this famous in Blackthorne. The line continued with more girls complimenting Cammie.

"OMG, it's really you! I'm Kim Lee!"

"I'm Anna Fetterman. Cammie—wait, can I call you that? Okay, Cammie, I just want you to know what you're awesome!"

"'Sup, Mick Morrison. I think that it's pretty rad you're here today!"

_This is getting weirder by the minute, _Cammie thought to herself. Then she came face to face with a girl with straight brown hair.

"Hi! I'm Tina Walters! I'm like, your biggest fan! I've heard so much about you! You know, Joe always tells us all these stories about you when he's teaching our CoveOps class. That's short for Covert and Operations, by the way. Oh my gosh, I just taught Cammie Morgan something new! Isn't' that like, so amazing?!"

"Uhh…" Cammie could only stare at the girl in bewilderment. "Yeah, that's pretty amazing…I guess…"

"Great! Oh, but I wanted to ask you a quick question, before you leave," to Cammie's surprise, the girl pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Is it true that you hooked up with Zachary Goode yesterday?"

"What?!" Cammie whirled around to face Macey who looked as shocked as she was. "Macey! I thought I told you—"

Macey immediately threw her hands up in the air. "It wasn't me, I swear!"

Cammie turned back towards Tina, who smiled innocently back at her. "Who gave you that idea?"

"Oh don't worry, I didn't hear from Macey. One of my sources saw you entering Zach's room last night," Tina smiled.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Cammie muttered under her breath. She sighed and said, "Look I don't know what your source saw, but all I did in Zach's room last night was talk about…" Cammie desperately looked around the room for an idea.

"Jackets!" she blurted out, spotting a pink jacket draped on a chair.

"Jackets?" Tina said slowly. "Interesting. So you're saying that the fact you were in Zach's room last night is true?"

"Yes, I am," Cammie said tiredly.

"Okay!" Tina snapped her notepad shut. "That's all I need. Thanks for your time, Cammie!" She handed Cammie a card. "If you need anything else, just give me a call," Tina pointed at the number on her card. "That's the number for my comms unit." She gave Cammie one last hug and bounded away.

Cammie stood there, staring down at the card. Bex grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the girls' common room. "Okay, enough of that," Bex rolled her eyes. "Sorry that you had to meet Tina."

"That's okay," Cammie forced a smile. "Hey, is there actually any other adults here that teach besides Joe?"

"Of course!" Macey pulled Cammie towards a wall. There was a large poster hanging on it that had pictures of at least one hundred people. "These are all the teachers of Blackthorne."

"Here are our teachers," Liz pointed to several photos. "Professor Smith, who teaches Countries of the World. Dr. Fibbs, who teaches Research and Development. He's my favorite teacher. Madame Dabney, who teaches Culture and Assimilation. Mr. Mosckowitz, who teaches Computing, Jonas's favorite teacher. Professor Buckingham, who teaches—"

"Wait a second!" Cammie peered closely at the photo. "That's Patricia!"

"Oh, so you know her?" Liz chirped.

"Know her?" Cammie replied. "She's one of the Council Officials in Gallagher! Or…was one of the Council Officials."

Bex nodded. "That's not too surprising, considering that she's one of Joe's most trusted teacher."

"Wow," Cammie stood back. "Do you know where she is? Did she even survive the Outlander attack?"

"Of course she did," Bex nodded. "She was at dinner yesterday."

"We'd love to take you to her," Macey was looking at her watch. "But we have to go to the meeting room right now."

* * *

><p>When the girls entered the meeting room, the only people inside were Grant, Jonas, and Joe. Joe smiled at Cammie as she walked in.<p>

"Hey there," he ruffled Cammie's hair affectionately like he used to do in Gallagher. "How are you? Sorry for losing my temper the other day."

Cammie nodded. "I'm fine. The girls were just showing me around the place. I got to meet some of the students."

"That's nice," Joe glanced towards the door. "Hey, does anyone know where Zach is?"

"He's in his room, sir," Grant spoke up. "Hasn't come out since…yesterday night." Cammie looked at Macey, Bex, and Liz knowingly.

"Was it really that bad?" Macey whispered.

"No, it wasn't!" Cammie whispered back. "I didn't know that he was so emotional!"

Just then, the door opened and Zach entered the room. Cammie stood up straight and watched silently as Zach walked over to Grant and Jonas. She shifted her eyes over to Joe, but could feel Zach's burning gaze directed towards her.

Joe cleared his throat. "This is going to be a short meeting. Now that we're all here," he said. "I'd like to go over the changes we will have to adapt to now that Cammie is part of this family."

He looked at Cammie. "First, you will have to start attending classes with Bex, Macey, and Liz. You will receive separate instructions from your teachers since the rest of the class is ahead. Besides schoolwork, you're going to have to start your physical training," Joe paused. "You won't be joining the other students for this, but instead with someone else.

"Zach, I am appointing you as Cammie's personal trainer."

"_What_?" Cammie and Zach both exclaimed.

Joe looked slightly surprised at their outburst. "Yes. Why, what's wrong?"

"Joe!" Cammie cried out desperately. "You can't make me train with this…this…jerk!" she sputtered, pointing at Zach indignantly.

"Guys," Joe explained calmly. "The more you tell me that you two can't work with each other, the more I am going to approve of my decision." He looked around the room. "Meeting adjourned."

Zach scoffed, shaking his head and stormed out of the room. Grant and Jonas worriedly followed. "We'll try and talk some sense into him," Grant assured Cammie before leaving.

Cammie plopped down in a chair and buried her face in her arms. Bex came over and rubbed her back.

"Oh, and Cammie?" Joe spoke out from the doorway. "Your training begins today."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Was that okay? I know that there wasn't a lot of Zammie, but there will be more in the next chapter. See you guys then! Remember to review your thoughts! Bye :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm back! So, you guys were all psyched to see what happens with Cammie and Zach as her new personal trainer. I have some Zammie stuff coming in for you guys, so enjoy :) Here's Chapter 8 :p**

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan:** That's what I was going for :)

**GallagherGirls13BYE:** Your predictions though...it's like you're a psychic or something! Read the chapter and you'll start laughing :)

**Guest:** Thank you! Here's your update!

**lovelikeallhopeislost:** Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have no idea how much this means to me :) I really appreciate your words; they're so awesome! I'm really happy you like this story, hopefully you'll like this chapter as well!

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**Disclaimer: Let's just say that this story wouldn't have been on FF if I owned the Gallagher Girls series...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie sat on her bed and sulked as Bex, Liz, Macey tried to cheer her up.

"It won't be as bad as you think," Macey assured. "As long as you guys just focus on training while you're in there."

"Just sitting here isn't going to help anything," Bex added. "You need to keep your mind off of this matter."

"Are the boys at Blackthorne just generally mean?" Cammie looked desperately at Bex. "Was it this hard when you got together with Grant?"

"Grant?" Bex asked. "Who said I was with—"

"Oh please," Macey rolled her eyes. "Of course it wasn't as hard. Grant and Bex have the easiest relationship I have ever seen. Well, after Jonas and Liz anyway."

Liz blushed a deep scarlet as Macey sighed and chuckled, "Ah, nerd love."

"So is it just a phase or something?" Cammie wondered. "I mean, I never went through this with Josh..."

"No, it's just different with you and Zach."

"Different?" Cammie echoed. "Different how?"

"It's different because of Zach's moth—" Liz began to say, but Macey clamped a hand over her mouth just in time.

"What?" Cammie's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," Macey smiled sheepishly. "Just the scientific stuff that Liz blurts out sometimes." She removed her hand from Liz's mouth.

"Uh-huh," Cammie stood up. "Whatever you say."

* * *

><p>The girls walked towards the gym, where Cammie was supposed to start training. The building was empty when they entered, so Cammie took this time to learn a couple of techniques from Bex.<p>

"Show me some stuff Joe taught you," Bex said.

"Sure." Cammie stepped onto the mat that was laid out on the floor and performed a series of punches and kicks. _Jab. Jab. Left uppercut. Right hook. Duck. Left hook. Jab. Jab. Right uppercut. Roundhouse Kick._ Cammie stood straight, breathing heavily.

"Your punches have no power," a voice spoke from the doorway. Cammie whirled around and saw Zach standing there with a duffel bag in one hand and a punching bag in the other. "And your roundhouse kick was inaccurate. If you want to perform this on a couple of Circle members, I suggest you sit out because you will get yourself killed."

Zach walked over to the bench where Bex, Macey and Liz were sitting and dumped his stuff next to their feet. "Morning, girls," he greeted. Bex stood up and whispered something to Zach that Cammie couldn't hear.

* * *

><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

"What is wrong with you?" Bex hissed. "Be nice to her. She's still recovering from what you did to her yesterday."

"I know," Zach said in a low voice. "I'll explain everything to her today."

"You better," Macey spoke up. "And apologize, too. If she comes back from training worse than yesterday, you won't live to see the sun rise tomorrow." And with that, the three girls walked out of the gym. Bex gave Cammie a thumbs-up and disappeared, leaving Zach and Cammie alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"So," Cammie placed her hands on her hip. "Want to tell me how to improve my moves?"

Zach stared at her for a minute. "I know why you're giving me that look," he said finally. "You want me to apologize about yesterday in my room."

"What?" Cammie's face turned red. "No, everything's fine….."

"No, it's not," Zach walked over to the mat. "I can see it in your eyes."

Cammie sighed. She lowered her eyes to the ground. "Why'd you do it, then?"

"I don't know," Zach's replied sadly. "I...I couldn't resist."

"Resist?" Cammie looked up. "Is that how you think it goes? You just go around kissing girls because you can't _resist_?"

"No!" Zach said quickly. "It's just that..." He made a frustrated sound. "I like you Cammie. A lot," he looked her in the eye. "I think you're beautiful in every way. Everything you do takes my breath away." He paused. "But I don't know if this love can last."

"Why not?" Cammie asked.

"It's just—" Zach began, but Cammie interrupted him.

"Macey, Bex, and Liz were hiding something from me today," Cammie said. "They said something about your moth."

"My moth?" Zach asked, clearly confused.

"Moth..." Cammie whispered to herself. _Moth, moth, moth...er._ "Mother," she said quietly. "They said something about your mother," she looked up.

Zach's face suddenly became very pale. He swallowed and quickly averted his gaze from Cammie.

"What is it?" she asked. _What could be so bad about Zach's mother that no one wanted to speak about?_

Just then, Cammie's mind raced back to the events of when she had first met Zach and the rest of the gang:

* * *

><p><em>"Do you know who Catherine Goode is?" Joe asked Cammie.<em>

_"Zach, why don't you get out of here," Bex suddenly said. "It won't do you any good listening to this."_

* * *

><p><em>Catherine had fiery red hair and a beautiful face. Her green eyes made her expression seem all serious and business like. <em>Come to think of it,_ Cammie thought. _Her eyes sort of remind me of Zach's eyes.

* * *

><p><em>"It's just different with you and Zach."<em>

_"Different?" Cammie echoed. "Different how?"_

_"It's different because of Zach's moth-" Liz began to say, but Macey clamped a hand over her mouth just in time._

* * *

><p>The truth dawned on Cammie. "I don't believe it," she said. "Catherine….She's your mother." Cammie stared at Zach, who looked as white as a ghost. "Why didn't you tell me before?"<p>

"I was going to," Zach stammered. "I just didn't want you to...hate me." He reached for Cammie's hand.

"Don't touch me," Cammie jerked her hand away. "I have to go," she mumbled and ran out of the room.

Over the next few days, Cammie didn't hear anything from Bex, Liz, or Macey (let alone Zach). Not that she was expecting anything from them. After all, she did stay cooped up in her room for majority of her time. Cammie felt betrayed by Zach. How could he have lied to her like that?

"I don't think I'll ever fall in love with anyone again," Cammie vowed. Why did it seem that she always got stuck in relationships that ended tragically? First Josh died, now Zach's mother was trying to hurt Cammie. What would be next?

Slowly, the Cammie's lonely days turned into a week, and she had almost forgotten the whole situation with Zach. Until one night, she heard a soft scratching noise coming from underneath her door. Someone slipped a white paper through the crack and had left, leaving the paper to taunt Cammie out of her mind.

One day, Cammie finally got up and decided to see what the slip of paper read. She walked to the door and picked it up, scanning the words.

_Can we talk? I don't want you sitting in your room thinking about Jimmy all day._

_-Z_

Cammie stared down at Zach's messy scrawl. He wanted to talk. About Catherine? She wasn't too sure. _Should I go visit him?_ Cammie wondered. _Or leave him be? _She fell asleep with these thoughts running through her mind.

* * *

><p><em>Cammie woke up sitting in a chair, hands and feet tied and mouth gagged. A woman stood across from her, arms held together in front of her. <em>Catherine_. She smiled menacingly and pulled out a knife from behind her. The same knife Cammie saw in her earlier dream with her parents. Cammie struggled against the ropes, but Catherine only laughed wickedly._

_"Oh, don't bother," Catherine's eyes glinted with evil. "You're body's too weak to break out of your bounds." Catherine came closer to her and trailed the blade of the knife along Cammie's jaw._

_Cammie winced as Catherine spoke. "Such a beautiful face. It would be a shame to see it go to waste." She chuckled. "Too bad my little Zachy isn't here to see it."_

_Cammie gave out a cry of alarm as Catherine laughed. "Oh, are you wondering where he is? Don't worry, Zach is just fine where he is. "Aren't you, Zach?" she called out._

_Suddenly, the wall on Cammie's right opened up and there was a sheet of glass that appeared. Zach sat in a chair behind it. He jumped up when he saw Cammie tied up. Zach came up to the glass and pounded on it with two fists._

_"Now," Catherine looked at Zach. "I'm gonna make a deal with you, Zach. Join the Circle. Be the son I always wanted you to be."_

_Zach shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Never," he spat._

_Catherine just shrugged. "Okay then, your choice." She took a few steps away from Cammie and then lashed out at her with the knife in her hand. The blade struck against Cammie's face, and across her cheeks. Cammie screamed, as the pain nearly blinded her for a moment. She saw Zach out of the corner of her eye and realized that he was staring at her in gape mouth horror. "Get away from her," he growled._

_"You may have guessed it now," Catherine chuckled. "If you don't join the Circle, then your precious little girlfriend here gets hurt. Badly." She delivered another strike, but this time across her arms. Cammie's warm blood oozed out of the cut and dripped onto the floor. Red dots danced in front of Cammie's eyes. She couldn't see anything, but she still heard Catherine's voice._

_"No!" Zach pounded on the glass again. "Please, just leave her alone."_

_"You know what you have to do," Catherine smiled._

_"Fine. I'll join the Circle. I'll do whatever you want me to do," Zach surrendered. "Just promise me that Cammie doesn't get hurt."_

_"No, Zach," Cammie croaked. "Don't do it."_

_"Fair enough," Catherine said. "I am a woman of my word." She squatted down in front of Cammie and smirked. "Would you look at that?" she whispered. "Looks like your boyfriend isn't so tough after all." She leaned back and struck Cammie across the head. Cammie crumpled forward, slowly falling unconscious. As she slipped away, she felt something brushing at her face. Zach's hand._

_"I'm so sorry," Zach whispered. Cammie felt drops of water falling onto her face. "So sorry..."_

_"Zach," Cammie said, barely above a whisper. She doubted he could hear her. She couldn't even hear herself. "Zach, I still love..."_

* * *

><p>Cammie's eyes flew open. She stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily. <em>Zach risked his life for me,<em> she thought. _He joined forces with the one thing he's hated in his entire life, just to protect me. _She sat up in bed and slipped on her shoes. Leaving her room, she padded softly down the hall and made her way to Zach's room. She stood at his door, wondering what she should do, when her instincts took over and she rapped the door lightly. Cammie waited for a few moments, and then the door was opened by a very tired Zach.

"Cammie?!" his eyes flew open when he realized who was standing at his door.

"Hi," Cammie smiled shyly.

"What—what are you doing here?" Zach asked, confused.

"I wanted to talk to you," Cammie explained.

"Now?" Zach said. He stepped back to let Cammie into his apartment. "What do you need?"

"It's about….us," Cammie replied. "I've finally made a decision. Your mom isn't a good person—"

"I knew it," Zach said bitterly. "You do hate me. You don't deserve to be with me. I mean, if my mom is a psychopath, then surely I am too, huh?"

"Zach, I didn't say that—" Cammie shook her head.

"I'm sorry that you had to know," Zach said. "You don't deserve this. I just...I couldn't lose the one person that didn't see _her_ when they looked at me."

"No, I'm sorry," Cammie walked closer to Zach. "I'm sorry that I can't be the girlfriend that you want me to be. I shouldn't judge you for who your family is. From where you ancestors are from. That's unfair."

Zach shook his head. "It doesn't matter. In the end, you will always feel some sort of remorse for me. I can't live with that."

"Yes, you can," Cammie stepped closer to Zach so that their bodies were touching. "You can." She paused for a bit. "I love you Zach."

_Zach is the only person I have ever felt whole with, _she thought_. He is the light to my darkness, he is the answer to my problems, and he is the love to my heart. Without him...I am nothing._

And then Zach's arms were around her. And his lips were moving on hers. Cammie stood close to Zach, holding onto him because she never wanted to let go. And as Zach and Cammie stood together, Cammie realized that the kiss was real...and, for the one time in her life, Cammie felt like she was at home. And it was an incredible feeling.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you guys liked that one :) Review please, and see you in the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi guys. Sorry this chapter came out so late. What can I say? School is school. And I had a LOT of writers' block. It was really bad. This chapter is probably my worst one yet, so sorry if you hate it. Anyways, one of my guest reviewers said that I "moved on too quickly with the whole Zammie thing." I went back to the chapter and reread it. Truth is, they were right. That whole part was sounding kinda weird, so I went ahead and added something. It was a dream about Cammie, Catherine, and Zach. So, if you haven't read that dream part yet, I suggest you go back and read it before you read this chapter, okay? Thanks. :)**

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan:** Reading this made me feel all warm and fluttery inside, thank you so much :) I'm really happy you like the characters! Enjoy this chapter :)

**cc:** Are you screaming because you liked the chapter, because you hated it, or because there's a masked murderer in your house trying to kill you?

**Guest:** Yes, I went back and fixed it. Thank you for telling me.

**Amanda1234:** Thank you!

**Guest: **Here's your update! Hopefully you like this chapter!

**izzy c:** Yes, I realized that after rereading the chapter. Thanks for telling me.

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Ha ha, that's good to hear :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls characters. Only the plot and setting(s) are mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie woke up with her head lying on Zach's chest. She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Zach stirred beside her and blinked his eyes open tiredly. "Gallagher Girl?" he mumbled.

"Right here," Cammie turned her head to him and smiled.

Zach slowly sat up and yawned as well. "Good morning," he rubbed her back.

"Morning," Cammie bit her lip and stood up. "I...uh...I just wanted to apologize for barging into your apartment yesterday—"

"Don't worry," Zach waved his hand dismissively. "I'm glad you did."

"Oh...Well, what happened after I left the gym?" Cammie asked anxiously.

"I went ahead and told Joe about it," Zach replied. "All he said was to leave you alone for a little bit and that the whole situation would blow over."

Cammie nodded dully. Her stomach started to growl, and she glanced longingly at the door. "Can we go get some breakfast?" she asked.

Zach laughed. "Sure, just give me five minutes." He disappeared into the bathroom.

After he was done, Cammie and Zach made their way to the cafeteria, walking down the hall hand in hand. They were laughing and making small talk, and Cammie couldn't help but grin like an idiot. Her mind was clear and she didn't feel tired or stressed or anything of the sort. She felt so...in love. As they entered the cafeteria, Cammie immediately heard a small squeal.

"Cam!" Liz rushed towards Cammie and threw her arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"Lizzie," Cammie croaked. "Can't...breathe."

"Oh! Sorry!" Liz stepped back, sheepishly. Bex and Macey came up behind her, wearing questioning looks.

Bex glanced at Zach and seemed to notice how close he was standing next to Cammie. "Is everything okay now between you two?" she raised an eyebrow.

Cammie grinned at Zach and nodded. "Everything's fine."

"So you two made up?" Macey asked. "Cam, you don't hate him anymore?"

"No," Cammie blushed. Macey took the hint and nodded thoughtfully. "Ohhh...I get it." She pulled Cammie's arm. "C'mon, you must be hungry. You've barely eaten anything over the past two weeks."

Cammie let Macey lead her towards the table where Grant, Jonas, and Joe were all sitting.

"Hey, Camster," Grant smiled at her. Cammie rolled her eyes.

"What did I tell you?" Zach laughed as he took the seat next to her.

"I see that everything's gone back to normal with you and Zach?" Joe asked.

Cammie nodded. "We, uh...talked things out."

"Just talked?" Macey smirked. Cammie's cheeks turned hot, and then became red as Zach clasped his hand with hers.

"Well, now that you two have made up," Joe continued. "Cammie's going to have to keep going with her training. Well, 'start training' since Zach told me that you didn't do anything last time in the gym." Joe looked at Cammie, who lowered her eyes. "I will be expecting double the effort today in order to make up for the lost time last practice, all right?"

Cammie nodded. "Yes, sir," she muttered mockingly.

"And you'll also be starting your classes today," Joe informed Cammie. "Come by my office after breakfast to pick up your supplies, okay?" Joe stood up and left the cafeteria.

"Cammie," Zach said when Joe left. "Before you leave, I just have to clarify something with you..."

"Yeah?" Cammie turned towards him.

"I was talking to Tina the other day..." Zach started, and then it seemed that he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Seriously?! _Jackets_?!"

The gang burst out laughing as Cammie apologized to Zach, embarrassed.

After breakfast, the gang went to Joe's office with Cammie to get her school supplies. Joe explained the basic subjects she would be taking.

"You will receive minimal homework in these classes, but you that doesn't mean that you don't try your best," Joe informed Cammie. "Here's what you need," Joe pulled open a drawer on his desk and took out a small flash drive.

"Is this all?" Cammie asked uncertainly as Joe handed her the black stick.

"This has all the information you need," Joe assured her. "You can access this on any computer, but you will have to input an access code and scan your fingerprint."

"We all have our own memory sticks, Cam," Bex said from behind her.

Cammie nodded and Joe dismissed her. "Your first class is Advanced Encryption. Mr. Mosckowitz will be your teacher. Zach, Liz, and Jonas have your first class with you. They'll take you there."

When Joe was finished with his brief explanation, Cammie was whisked away to her first class. Cammie had learned the basics of Encryption back in Gallagher, which was why Joe had placed her in the advanced class. She met Mr. Mosckowitz, who was, as Liz had said, Jonas's favorite teacher.

As Mr. Mosckowitz tried to explain the schematics of bypassing a single firewall to Cammie, all Jonas did was interrupt with important and random facts every few seconds, which made Cammie even more confused. Eventually, Mr. Mosckowitz gave up and asked Zach to help explain. Cammie found herself getting even more distracted as she stared into Zach's luminous green eyes while he spoke.

"And lastly, you have to make sure you're in incognito all the time so no one can track down where the bypass was made from, got it?" Zach asked.

Cammie suddenly realized that Zach had asked her a question. "Huh? I mean, yeah..." she trailed off, not knowing what he had asked.

Research and Development wasn't any better. Dr. Fibbs was a very absent minded man, and kept on forgetting Cammie's name. During the first day there, Cammie was required to make a chemical that would make a person forget everything that just happened in the last half an hour. With the help of Liz, Cammie was able to conjure a purple, foul-smelling solution. Unfortunately, Liz knocked over the vial with the chemical in it, and the liquid spread to none other than Dr. Fibbs himself. The next few minutes were spent trying to tell Dr. Fibbs all that had happened within the past 30 minutes and why he couldn't remember anything.

The day went on like this, with Cammie trying new things in different classes. She learned all about an old country called Venezuela with Professor Smith, went back to Mr. Mosckowitz class for Computing, she learned about the famous outlaws in History of Espionage with Patricia, or how students addressed her in Blackthorne, Professor Buckingham. The minute Professor Buckingham started speaking in class, Cammie had sat back, astounded by the sound of her voice. Gone was the slight southern accent that Professor Buckingham had in Gallagher. Now, she was talking with the same accent as Bex, and it seemed to suit her more.

After lunch, Cammie went to Culture & Assimilation and learned how to set a table properly. Completely useless, but there had to be some sort of distraction from all the academic classes she had taken earlier.

Finally, the time for the class Cammie had been waiting for, Covert and Operations, arrived. When Cammie entered the classroom, there were ten other students already seated. They were all girls. Joe was nowhere to be seen, so Cammie just took a seat in the back of the room with her friends. She looked around and spotted Tina Walters in the midst of all the other girls, who waved excitedly to her. As the minutes ticked by, she began to wonder if Joe was actually going to show up to class to teach.

"Don't worry," Bex smiled, reading her thoughts. "He never comes to class on time."

Suddenly, Cammie heard a voice from the doorway.

"Miss McHenry."

She whirled around in her seat and saw Joe leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"When conducting manual surveillance on a subject on a three-man rotation, the person with the visual contact is the..."

Liz's hand shot into the air and she squirmed in her seat so she could answer the question. Joe ignored her and continued staring at Macey.

"Eyeball," Macey rattled off.

"Correct," Joe said. He entered the room and made his way through the rows of desks. "Miss Baxter, the person within sight of the eyeball is the..."

Liz's hand remained in the air and this time she even waved it a little.

"Backup," Bex replied.

"And Miss Morgan," Joe looked a Cammie, while maintaining a solemn look on his face. "What is the final person called?"

"Uhhh..." Cammie stared at Joe. How was she expected to know this stuff? And why did Joe call her Miss Morgan? He was acting a lot different than the man she knew back in Gallagher.

Cammie's eyes darted to Liz, who was still raising the same arm. "I...I don't know," It sounded like a stupid thing to say, but it was the only thing Cammie could think of right at the moment.

"Miss Morgan," Joe said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "If you want to be a part of this class, and this alliance, I expect you to _know everything_. I expect you to_ see everything. _And right now...all I'm seeing is foolishness."

Cammie's breath hitched. Why in the world was Joe acting this way? She was his half-daughter, for heaven's sake!

"Welcome to Covert Operations, Miss Morgan. I may have not taught _you_ before, but I've been doing this stuff for eighteen years, and I'm still breathing, so that means I know what I'm talking about." He leaned closer to Cammie's face. "Let me tell you one thing. This is _not_ going to be like your other classes. I'm going to get you ready for what goes on. Out there. It's not for everyone and that's why I'm going to make this hard on you. Understood?"

Cammie nodded. "Sorry, Joe," she mumbled.

"I'm not your father anymore in this class, Miss Morgan," Joe said firmly. "You can call me what the rest of the class calls me."

Cammie looked at him with questioning eyes, but didn't argue. "Sorry...Mr. Solomon," she cringed at the unfamiliarity of the name.

"Back to the question I asked Miss Morgan earlier," Joe leaned back and gazed at the rest of the class. "Ladies, can you share the answer?"

"The reserve," the class chorused in unison and Cammie's cheeks turned red. Liz huffed and lowered her hand, staring glumly at Joe.

Joe put crossed his arms and leaned against the wall in the front of the room. "In the field, ladies, you can never have things go as planned. I fully expect you to master the ability to improvise. Which brings us to today's...activity."

The way he said 'activity' made the hairs on Cammie's neck stand up. _Activity? What activity?_ Cammie looked around the room, seeing the emotions on the girls' faces. Most of the students were excited, but somehow, Cammie felt as if this activity would be far from anything she could be excited about.

Joe stood straight. "We are going to do a run in the simulation room."

The class burst into excited whispers.

"Simulation room?" Cammie asked Bex quietly.

"A simulation room, Miss Morgan," Joe said. How he had heard her, she had no idea. "Is the building where we run through a basic CoveOps mission. The room will change depending on the assignment I give, and you will be graded on how well your team performs." He walked over to the door of the room. "Follow me."

The girls jumped out of their seats and filed out of the room, leaving Macey, Bex, Liz, and Cammie behind. Cammie stood up and looked at the three girls.

"Either I'm starting to become paranoid, or Joe hates me."

"Cam, don't worry," Bex assured her as the four girls hurried down the hall. "This is how Joe acts during CoveOps and missions. He's completely normal when we're not in class."

Cammie sighed and quickened her pace to keep up with the rest of the class.

It turned out that the simulation room was just a really big, empty room. When they entered, Cammie noticed that the grey walls climbed at least 100 meters.

"This is the simulation room, Miss Morgan," Joe stepped into the center of the room and spread his arms wide. "After I announce your mission, the room will be set up to match the mission."

"What's our assignment?" Tina asked curiously.

Joe smiled as the door opened. The girls turned their heads and saw a group of boys all standing at the entrance. In the front of the group was Zach, Grant, and Jonas, grinning from ear to ear.

Cammie raised her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of the boys standing in front of her.

"Ready for a game of hide and seek, Gallagher Girl?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That was horrible, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I'm kinda just lacking inspiration right now. There will be more action in the next chapter; this one was mostly a filler chapter. Anyways, I'll see you soon! (Hopefully XD)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm so so so sorry guys. I know it's been like forever since I updated, and I apologize. I hate to say it, but this fanfic has been on the bottom of my to-do list for the past couple of weeks. I'll try to update throughout the next few days.**

**Katniss979-Goode-Morgan: **I'm glad you liked that part. Don't worry; the next chapter will be better.

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx: **Thanks :)

**So the last chapter was boring. I made one that's a little better for you guys. One thing, though. Just imagine the CoveOps assignment in the simulation room in this chapter as the fear landscape simulation thing in Divergent, okay? Speaking of Divergent, has anyone seen the movie yet? How was it? I'm going on Saturday. Enjoy :) **

**Disclaimer:** All rights go to Ally Carter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"Ready for a game of hide and seek, Gallagher Girl?" Zach smirked.

"Hide and seek?" Cammie echoed. She turned to Joe, who explained what Zach meant.

"Today's CoveOps mission will be a basic surveillance operation," Joe said. "I have divided you into two teams. Boys versus girls. The _boys_ will be assigned a character each and a disguise. This assignment will be timed for three hours."

"In those three hours, it is the _girl's_ job to make it to a certain destination without being tailed by the boys. If you don't make it, congratulations girls, you've just failed today's assignment." Joe started passing out black bags to the boys.

"Guys, inside is your costume. Don't show anyone else what it looks like. You will have fifteen minutes to change into your disguise." Joe gave a long look at the line of boys. "Understood?"

Zach caught Cammie's eyes and smiled supportively. "You'll do fine," he mouthed. Cammie nodded appreciatively and smiled as the boys walked out of the room, leaving the girls inside the room with Joe.

Cammie swallowed hard and glanced at Macey, Bex and Liz. Bex's eyes were gleaming, Macey looked bored (as usual), and Liz was biting her nails.

"Okay, ladies," Joe came forward and handed a white envelope to Tina. "Here's your destination."

Tina clutched the envelope as if she was holding onto it for dear life. Cammie didn't feel bad for her. If Tina looked scared, then Cammie was going to have some trouble as well.

"The boys should be out soon," Joe walked towards the door of the room. "I'm going to put up the landscape up. Oh, and Miss Morgan," he added. "try your best not to get startled."

Joe exited the big room and entered the control area that was connected to the room with a glass window. He clicked a few buttons and the simulation room whirred to life. Lights started flashing, beeping sounds echoed throughout the room and the skylights at the top of the room were covered with steel shutters, sealing the room in darkness.

Cammie looked at Liz, who was staring at the presentation with huge grin on her face. "Now, all he needs to do is program the computer into displaying little pixels with colors that represent the object he wants," Liz said in awe.

"Right," Cammie nodded without understanding half of what Liz said. Suddenly, the ground beneath them seemed to disappear. Cammie stumbled backwards as buildings started to pop up from the ground. The moved across the floor swiftly and stopped at random places. Bushes, flowers, and other nature appeared out of nowhere. Cammie looked up. A pale blue color crawled out onto the ceiling, with a splash of yellow shining in the corner. Cammie blinked, and she was suddenly standing underneath a clear blue sky with the sun warming her face.

"This is so cool..." Cammie breathed.

"You should see the other landscapes that Joe creates," Macey smiled.

Cammie's mouth fell open. Gone was the empty walls and drab gray floors. Instead, a new world seemed to have taken its place. It didn't even seem that she was in a room anymore. Instead, the girls were standing in the middle of a town square. There was a bubbling fountain located a few feet from her. Cammie looked around her and saw that the town square was part of a village. It wasn't a village she knew, but it looked similar to Gallagher. She saw a brown plaque next to the fountain and walked towards it. The other girls followed.

"Roseville," she read aloud and frowned.

"Roseville?" Bex repeated. "Never heard of that village before."

"Oh my god," Liz said softly. "Look!"

Cammie stepped back and realized that the village had suddenly come to life. People were walking around, going about their daily lives. _Where had all these people come from? _

Then, the truth dawned on her. _The boys,_ she thought. _It's them, hidden underneath their own disguises._ But there were definitely more than the number of students that were participating in the CoveOps mission. Were they all Blackthorne boys and teachers? Or additional holograms projected for the simulation?

Just to make sure, Cammie smiled at one of the guy that walked past her. He smiled back and continued walking. _Okay, definitely not a hologram._ Cammie whirled around subtly, studying at each person that went by her. Was that Zach underneath the wavy black hair and blue eyes?

"Okay, ladies," Joe's voice boomed over the intercom. "You know what to do. You may pair up or work with anyone you want. Tina, you can open the envelope now."

The girls crowded around Tina, who gingerly opened the flap and pulled out a slip of paper. "Flower stand in market place." The girls looked at one another nervously. "Good luck, guys," Tina smiled.

"I'll stay with you, Cammie, since it's your first assignment," Bex reassured her.

Cammie nodded and suddenly felt worried...and scared. She was going to have to be very careful during this assignment. _I can do this, _Cammie thought to herself. _I am a pavement artist...no one can see me._ She heard a loud beep and looked up. A large clock was placed against one of the buildings. The screen read 3:00:00. As she was staring at it, the clock started, and the screen showed 2:59:59.

The simulation had begun.

* * *

><p>Cammie's heart raced as the clock began to count down seconds. And then the seconds turned to minutes.<p>

"Come on," Bex took Cammie's hand and pulled her towards the residential part of the village. Here, they mingled with the other villagers while keeping a lookout for any tails. Cammie glanced to her left. A man was standing against a house, smoking a cigarette. _Is he our tail? _Cammie thought. _This is going to be a long day._

Cammie and Bex spent the next hour or so scouring the whole residential area. They entered buildings, only to exit them two minutes later. They bent down, tied their shoelaces, stopped to sniff flowers, complimented people's appearances; all when they didn't need to. Right now, Cammie and Bex were strolling through a small park in the village. Cammie looked around discreetly, taking in everything around her. She turned back towards Bex, who was staring at the reflection of the timer in a puddle of water. The time now read 1:50:37.

"Here's the thing you need to know about detecting and losing a tail," Bex declared as she and Cammie strolled through a small park in the village. "It's—"

Before Bex could finish her sentence, a loud alarm started blaring through the village. Cammie and Bex looked around in surprise. A red alarm bell that Cammie had never noticed before now hung next to the timer. The numbers on the clock had disappeared, now replaced with the words "CODE BLACK."

"Shit," Bex pulled Cammie's hand and led her through the village. As Bex was tugging her along, Cammie glanced around and saw that all the other villagers had similar expressions as the one on Bex's face. They looked scared, worried, and determined. _We've had Code Blacks in Gallagher before,_ Cammie thought. _But never like this. _She wriggled her hand out from Bex's grasp and put her hands over her ears to block out the alarm's noise.

Suddenly, the entire village started to disappear. The buildings sank beneath the floors, the blue sky overhead flickered and faded away, and all that was left were the crowd of villagers standing in the middle of the empty simulation room. The men and boys started taking off wigs, and jackets, and fake mustaches. _The boys's disguises,_ Cammie thought. She spotted Mr. Mosckowitz and Professor Smith in the crowd, shouting orders to the other students. She craned her neck to see if she could spot Zach anywhere. Instead, she saw Tina and some other girl students taking orders from the teachers.

In the middle of the room stood Macey and Liz. They spotted Cammie and Bex and rushed over to them.

"Cam!" Liz cried and took her from Bex.

"Lizzie, take Cam to her room," Bex ordered. "Lock the door, and don't let anyone inside until the next hour or so is over. Not even me." Bex turned to Macey. "We have to go."

"What's going on?" Cammie asked the girls.

"Just take her," Bex told Liz. Liz nodded and pulled Cammie to the doors. Cammie looked over her shoulder and saw Macey and Bex standing with a sad look on their faces.

"The simulation," Cammie shouted to Liz over the ringing alarm. "Why did it stop?"

"It's a Code Black," Liz explained as they hurried down the hallways. "The Circle is nearby."

As Liz dragged Cammie down the corridor, the windows and skylights above them were shielded by steel shutters, and bolts were screwed on tight.

"What?!" Cammie asked. "I thought you said that the location of Blackthorne was classified! Even I don't know where we are!"

"It is," Liz assured her. "For now." She gave a sidelong glance at Cammie. "The Circle has been wanting to find out the location of Blackthorne for a while now, but they've been pretty persistent ever since..." Liz trailed off.

"Ever since what?" Cammie asked even though she was sure she knew the answer already.

"Ever since you came along," Liz said quietly.

"But that was like two weeks ago!" Cammie exclaimed. She stopped as she and Liz arrived at the elevators. Liz kept jabbing at the call button for the elevator, but it didn't arrive.

"Gallagher Girl!" A voice called out from behind her. Cammie whirled around and saw Zach and Joe running towards her.

"Are you all right?" Zach asked protectively. He placed his hands on her cheeks and tilted her face upwards.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cammie replied distractedly. "Why wouldn't I be?" She stared into his eyes, looking for any sign of emotion that would give her a clue to what was going on. All she could see was anxiousness and worry.

"Liz," Joe asked. "Are you taking Cammie to her room?" Liz nodded. The elevator finally arrived and the doors slid open. Liz pulled Cammie inside despite her protests.

"Wait, what's going on?" Cammie demanded. "Why is is such a big deal that the Circle doesn't find me?" She gave a pleading look to Zach.

"Gallagher Girl, I promise everything will make sense after this," Zach said quickly as the doors started to close. "Just stay put for—" His voice cut off as the doors closed.

"Zach..." Cammie whispered so quietly that even Liz couldn't hear while standing next to her. The elevator slowly sank lower and lower to Cammie's floor.

"Cam," Liz placed a hesitant hand on Cammie's forearm. "You do know how important you are to us, right? All of us."

"But why?" Cammie looked at Liz. "Why am I such a big deal?" The elevator ringed and lurched to a stop. The doors slid open, and Liz and Cammie hurried towards Cammie's room.

Cammie unlocked the door for Liz and followed her into the room. She turned around as she entered and bolted the door shut. As she turned back around, she saw Liz dragging a chair to the door and placing it underneath the knob. "Just in case," she explained.

"Okay, what is going on?" Cammie glared at Liz. "Why _exactly_ is there a Code Black—heck why is the Circle always trying to find me?!"

Liz sighed. "Well, I suppose you do deserve an explanation." She sank into one of Cammie's armchairs and put her head against her arm. "Ever since you were little, the Circle has been after you. Nobody really knows why. It could be because of your parents and their relationship with Catherine, or something else. We don't know," Liz looked at Cammie sadly and shook her head.

"Joe told you that Catherine was taking over the villages," Liz said. "She was starting slow. I guess, now that Gallagher was destroyed, she's been trying even harder to find you."

"Zach," Cammie recalled. "Bex, Macey, Joe. Are they going after her now?"

"Just protecting the perimeter, that's all," Liz smiled. "Nothing too serious."

"But that's what we're going to do eventually, right?" Cammie asked.

"Cam—" Liz started.

"We have to!" Cammie interrupted. She stood up from the bed. "I'm not going to let her get away with what she's been doing all these years. I'm pretty sure Joe was going to send up half of Blackthorne to attack _Cavan_."

Liz stared at her hands in her lap. "Yes," she mumbled. "That was the plan."

Cammie exhaled and paced the room. "The sooner the better. I should be out there, protecting the perimeter, too," she said. "I can fight just as well as any of them—"

"Cam, no," Liz cut in sternly. "Joe would never forgive himself you got hurt. Worse, killed. Neither would Zach. Anyone of us girls, too, for that matter."

Cammie nodded and collapsed back on the bed. "Well, what am I supposed to do then?"

"Wait," Liz said softly. "And hope." And so they did.

After about an hour, Cammie was working on her COW homework, but her mind was still on her friends and Joe's well being. Liz was slumbering softly on her armchair. Suddenly, Cammie heard a knock on her door. She jumped up, startled, and glanced over. Was her ears playing tricks on her? Sure enough, a second knock pounded on the door; this time even louder.

Cammie slowly stood from her seat. Liz's eyes blinked open and she yawned.

"What happened?" Liz asked sleepily. The knock rapped once again, this time accompanied by a "Cam, it's me, Bex!"

Cammie went over and peered through the peep hole. "It's them," she said, relieved.

She moved the chair aside and threw the door open. Bex stood there, with Macey, Zach, Joe and Grant behind her. Even Jonas was included, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Cam," Bex breathed a sigh of relief. "You're all right?"

"Yeah," Cam smiled. Liz came up beside her. "Liz protected me," she gave the blonde a small nudge of her shoulder. Cammie turned back towards the group, her expression serious. "What happened out there?"

"All we saw were a couple of Circle droids," Macey smirked. "Jonas here shut all them off, and then reprogrammed the machines telling them that they didn't find Blackthorne."

"That's all?" Cammie asked.

Zach nodded and pushed his way into the room. "You know that we wouldn't let anybody hurt you, Gallagher Girl..." He hurriedly added on to make his sentence less suspicious. "Not that anyone is hunting you down or anything..."

"It's okay," Cammie said. "Liz told me everything." She stepped back and let the rest of her guests into her room. They took seats on the chairs, her desk, bed, and on the floor. Cammie leaned against the wall near her bathroom. "And I want in," Cammie stared at all the people inside the room.

"What?" Grant burrowed his eyebrows.

"I want to go out with you during a Code Black," Cammie said defiantly.

"Kiddo, that's dangerous," Joe pointed out.

"So what?" Cammie said. "I've been in the face of danger before. There shouldn't be a problem."

"Cameron, what I think Joe is trying to say, is—" Bex started.

"Don't _Cameron_ me," Cammie snapped back. "I really want to do this."

"Gallagher Girl," Zach stared at Cammie. "You are not going out there. Not unless the Circle has been taken down."

"So let's take 'em down!" Cammie cried. "What's the big deal?"

"You know," Macey said. "I think she has a point."

Grant gasped. "How can you agree with her?"

"Look at her," Macey shrugged. "It's obvious that she hates being trapped in here."

"Exactly," Cammie said thankfully. "I mean, I don't even know the location of Blackthorne!"

"That's because—" Joe started.

"Because what?" Cammie asked. "It's classified? You're not allowed to share it with me? Because I'll tell somebody? Who do I have to tell, anyways?"

"True," Jonas shrugged. He glanced around the group. "I think she deserves a chance."

"Fine," Joe snapped. "You're not going to be scouring the perimeter, but I'll take you to Gallagher. Just remember that you're going to have to wait a while. It's not safe this just minute. Got it?"

"Yeah," Cammie nodded. "How long?"

"Possibly a week," Joe informed. "Now, I want you to start your training period with Zach." He left the room followed by Liz, Jonas, Macey, Bex, and Grant.

Cammie groaned to herself. _A week?_ She couldn't wait that long!

"Come on, Gallagher Girl," Zach put his arm around her waist and steered her into the bathroom. "Go change and meet me in the gym." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "We'll do a few workout sessions. And maybe not just _work _out sessions." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ewww...Zach, that's gross..." Cammie swatted his arms and shooed him out of her room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, so I was wrong. This isn't going to be the action packed chapter. The next one is. Sorry if you guys were excited about that. I just didn't want to make this chapter super long, and then make the next one super short, 'cuz then you would get mad -_- So, for everyone's sake, I'll give you a spoiler to keep you anticipated. In the next chapter, Cammie will finally *cough* meet Catherine *cough*. But you didn't hear it from me!**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed that, and don't forget to review! I'm sure you think this chapter was a flop as well. Sorry about that... Anyways, I'll see you guys later, then. Bye :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys. How are y'all doing? Sorry this update came out so late. Spring Break was last week, and I went to Spain for vacation. Barcelona and Madrid to be exact :) And I'm from the States, so it was an exciting trip for me! I didn't get a chance to update the next chapter, so I had to work on it after I came home. And then, I updated the entire chapter on my iPad, but it didn't save properly, so now I have to start over :(**

**How many of you guys read my one shot, 20 Questions? I don't think I mentioned it in the last chapter, so I will in this one. Go read it! It'll will make you sigh and dream about the amazing Zachary Goode. But we all do that anyways, so it doesn't really matter. But you should still read it!**

**Guest: **Aww...thanks :) You're too kind. I'm glad you like it. Here's your update!

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx: **Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girl series. Ally Carter does. But you guys knew that already.**

**This chapter will be filled with cool stuff to keep you on the edge of your seat! Zammie throughout the chapter to make you happy :) ****And now, for our featured presentation...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie didn't mind spending a couple of hours everyday training. As long as she was with Zach, she was fine. And as promised, Zach snuck a small you-know-what session before they started training.

"Remember to keep your stance balanced equally on both feet," Zach said before they started a sparring match. "And when you lift up your foot to kick, you have to squeeze your stomach in." He stepped forward and placed his two hands on either side of Cammie's torso.

Cammie nodded as Zach moved his hands away. "Got it."

"You want me to keep my hands on your stomach, don't you Gallagher Girl?"

"Is it that obvious?" Cammie grinned.

Zach laughed and took his fighting stance. "Okay, let's get back to work." He raised his fists up to his face. "Now, I want you to follow this set. Jab, jab, right uppercut, roundhouse, all right?"

"Yeah," Cammie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and took a few steps behind. She punched with her fists, and Zach deflected them expertly. She grunted as each fist went flying. As she moved into her roundhouse kick, Zach grabbed her foot, spun her around, and flipped her onto the ground.

Cammie lay on the floor, stunned and stared up at Zach's grim face. "Don't take too much time on your kick. Spin fast, preferably on your toes. It will give you more momentum and you'll be able to knock your opponent in the face a lot quicker." Zach held out a hand and helped Cammie to her feet.

"Thank you," Cammie smiled at him. "For all of this. I probably would have only been able to fight a rabbit without your help."

Zach smirked. "I'm good, aren't I?"

Cammie smacked him on the arm jokingly. "And very modest too...Okay, teach me another set."

"Not yet," Zach took his fighting stance again. "You still need to master the first one."

"But you already told me what to work on," Cammie whined. "I'll just keep that in mind when I fight the bad guys."

Zach's face became serious and he stared solemnly at Cammie. "Gallagher Girl, the Circle won't fight with you like you're a little girl. They know who your parents are and how good they were. They will treat you like your parents. They will keep hurting you until you reach the breaking point."

Cammie sighed. She knew Zach was right. "Sorry," she stared up at him. "It's just that—"

"I know how you feel," Zach interrupted as if Cammie hadn't spoken at all. "When I first joined Blackthorne, the only thing that I ever thought about was going after my mother. I was so impatient. All I wanted was for her to pay for what she had done to all the villagers of Gallagher."

"Zach," Cammie said, shocked. "Don't say that. Even if she did some bad things, Catherine is still your mother."

"Yes, she is," Zach shook his head. "And I'm her son. What does that make me? Am I also as bad as her?"

"No, of course not." Cammie cut in.

"Whatever," Zach waved his hand dismissively. "Let's not talk about her." He stepped back to the edge of the mat and held his fists up.

Cammie breathed in and charged at him. She threw a couple of punches, but Zach dodged them all. Then, Cammie spun around and did her roundhouse kick, but again, Zach caught her foot and flipped her.

"That was faster than before," Zach grinned down at her. "But not fast enough."

Cammie groaned and stood up again. For the next half an hour or so, she perfected her kick and was able to move onto the next set that Zach had planned for her. This one included two punches, left hook, right uppercut, a knee in the stomach, and than a hold onto the opponent's neck. The first few times Zach kept breaking out of Cammie's hold. Finally, on the thirteenth try, Cammie was able to lock her elbow onto Zach's neck. Zach struggled against Cammie's arm, but she held on fast.

Just then, the door to the gym opened and Joe walked inside. Cammie immediately released her hold on Zach and he collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.

The corners of Joe's mouth twitched upward and he stepped on to the mat. "I see you have been working hard, Cammie," he smiled.

Cammie grinned. "Thanks."

"I was considering your offer, and I realized that now would be the best time to take up on it," Joe said.

"Offer?" Cammie frowned. "You mean the one about visiting Gallagher?" She stepped forward eagerly.

"Yes," Joe nodded. "You need to go to your apartment, change, and meet me in the weapon room."

"What?" Zach pushed passed Cammie. "You're going _now_?! We _just_ got attacked by the Circle not too long ago. It's not safe!"

"Exactly," Joe said. "They wouldn't be expecting Cammie to be outside right after the attack."

"I still don't—" Zach started, but Cammie interrupted.

"Come on Zach. It's only for a little bit. I won't stay there long. You can come with me if you really feel like I need protecting," Cammie pointed out.

Zach sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay...fine. But you're sticking with me the _entire time_ Gallagher Girl."

"Got it," Cammie nodded excitedly. She gave Zach and Joe a hug and bounded out of the gym. She jogged down the hall and stepped into the elevator that would take her to her room. Once inside her apartment, Cammie changed into a pair of black pants and a shirt. She tied her hair up and slid her knife into her boot.

"Cam! It's Bex," Bex knocked on the door. Cammie opened it and Bex, Liz, and Macey stepped inside.

"How was your training?" Macey wiggled her eyebrows.

"Amazing," Cammie smiled a knowing smile.

"Did you and Zach..." Bex trailed off.

"Maybe," Cammie smirked at Bex's implication.

"Aww...you and Zach make the most adorable couple!" Liz exclaimed and beamed at Cammie.

"Oh, stop it," Cammie blushed. Changing the subject, she asked, "Are you guys coming with me to Gallagher?"

"Liz will stay behind with Jonas," Macey said. "Bex and I are going to be there to protect you."

Cammie rolled her eyes at the last two words and left the apartment with the girls. The three parted ways with Liz at the elevator. They walked to the weapons room, where Zach, Grant, and Joe were already standing.

"Okay, here's how we'll do this," Joe spoke. "Grant, Bex, and Macey will go out first and scout the area. Once they've called the all-clear signal, Zach, Cammie and I will head out."

"What exactly are you looking for?" Bex asked Cammie.

"Nothing, I guess," Cammie shrugged. "I just want to see how Gallagher turned out after the attack."

"Okay then," Joe started handing out guns to everyone. "Let's get going."

The gang left the weapons room and mounted into the tiny elevator. Cammie was squished up against Zach, but she didn't complain.

"Officer Joseph Solomon," Joe called out randomly. The button panel disappeared and a fingerprint scanner took it's place.

"Please place your finger on the scanner," a robotic voice sounded from the the speaker. Joe reached out towards the panel and pressed his finger to the screen.

"Welcome, Joseph Solomon," the robotic voice said. Then, the scanner went away and a couple of buttons appeared. They were labeled _Basement_, _Sublevel 1_, _Sublevel 2_, _Sublevel 3_, _Sublevel 4_, _Sublevel 5_, and _Surface_.

Cammie peered at the buttons labeled with _Sublevel_. _I thought those flooors were called Levels, _she thought. _Not _Sub_levels._ She became even more puzzled when Joe pressed the button that was labeled _Surface_.

_Surface? _Cammie frowned. _Never heard of it.  
><em>

"What was that?" she asked Joe.

"Security Clearance," Joe responded. "All the teachers, Bex, Macey, Liz, Jonas, Zach, Grant, and I have clearance to access the extremity levels."

"Extremity Levels?" Cammie echoed. "Do I have access?"

"Not exactly," Bex replied. "That's the reason we don't use these levels in front of you."

"What about now?" Cammie pointed out.

"Consider this an...exception," Joe merely said.

The elevator started to climb up and reached the top floor, Level 5. Cammie expected the elevator to stop at that floor, but it kept going until Cammie realized the truth. "Wait a second...Blackthorne's underground?"

Joe craned his neck and smiled at her. "I see you've figured that out."

"Then where do we get all our food from? I mean, where does it grow?" Cammie asked.

"That's something that Liz, Jonas, and their interns take care of," Zach replied. "We don't really worry about that."

"I think they put some chemicals inside it to make it grow without sunlight," Grant thought aloud.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Cammie shook her head as the elevator slowed to a stop.

"Don't worry, Cam," Macey managed to cross her arms in the tiny space that was available. "I feel you. Nobody except Liz, Jonas, and Dr. Fibbs has any idea what those chemicals are and what harm they could be to my complexion."

"Here we are," Joe stepped out of the compartment as the doors slid open.

Cammie left the elevator and found herself in a small room with metal walls. In front of her was a pair of huge steel doors.

"Ready?" Grant pulled out his gun and cocked the barrel. He, Bex, and Macey positioned themselves near the door and Grant pushed the button to let it open. The three filed out slowly with their guns poised. Cammie stayed near the elevator with Zach and Joe.

At least ten minutes later, Bex poked her head back in and said, "All clear."

"Okay," Joe reached into the bag he was wearing and pulled out a couple of ear pieces. "Communication devices," he explained and handed them out.

Cammie stuck hers in her ear and followed Zach and Joe out of the room. She squinted in the bright sunlight and took a deep breath of fresh air. She looked up and noticed that _Cavan_ could very faintly be seen in the distance. _Wow,_ she thought. _We must be far from Gallagher._

"Where are we exactly?" Cammie turned to Joe. "I mean, which part of the woods are we in?"

"The location's unknown," Joe replied. "It doesn't have a name. Which is why I kept Blackthorne here." He started walking towards _Cavan _and Cammie hurried up with the others to follow him.

As the gang walked onward towards Gallagher, the sun began to sink into the horizon.

"This isn't good," Joe stopped and stared up at the colorful sky. "I don't think we can reach Gallagher by nightfall."

"We should stop for the night," Zach said. "And start again tomorrow morning."

"Exactly," Joe continued trudging along. "I have a safe house up here somewhere."

"How far along are we to Gallagher?" Cammie whispered to Bex.

"Oh, I'd say about 3/4 of the way there already," Bex reassured her.

As Joe promised, about 10 minutes later, Cammie and the others were able to spot a small cottage. They clambered inside and Joe told everyone to get settled in.

Cammie stared at the small living room with one couch bed, a small kitchen area, and two bedrooms and bathrooms. "Cozy," she remarked.

"I'll take the couch," Joe plopped his backpack down on one of the cushions.

"I'll take the other," Grant sat down on the other couch.

"Grant!" Bex exclaimed. She held her arms out. "Forgetting someone?"

"Oh...sorry, Bex," Grant stood up.

"Bex," Macey stood with her hands on her hips. "Who am I supposed to sleep with if you sleep with Grant, and Cammie sleeps with Zach—"

Zach smirked when Macey said this.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Cammie cut in. "Who said anything about me sleeping with Zach?"

"I did," Zach smirked and dragged a red-faced Cammie to one of the bedrooms.

Cammie reluctantly allowed Zach to drag her to the bedroom. _This can't be so bad,_ she thought. _I mean, it's Zach we're talking about here, right? _Her thoughts immediately went down the drain when she saw the bedroom's design.

There was one bed. One _double_ bed, to be exact.

_Great_, Cammie groaned.

"What's wrong?" Zach chuckled at Cammie's nervous expression. "Are you to scared to sleep in the same bed as me? 'Cause we've done this before, Gallagher Girl."

"Yeah, but not in front of the others," Cammie hissed. "What are they gonna think if they walk in on us?"

"Walk in on us sleeping?" Zach checked. "Or walk in on us doing...something else?"

"Okay, you know what?" Cammie tried not to think about what Zach was implying. "I'm being paranoid, let's just go to sleep."

"Sure thing," Zach went into the bathroom and Cammie sank down onto the mattress.

When she woke the next morning, she found herself lying on Zach's chest yet again. She lifted her head and peered at the clock. It read 5:37. Cammie yawned and sat up slowly.

"Gallagher Girl?" Zach mumbled from next to her.

"Yeah?" Cammie turned towards him just as the door opened, revealing Joe. Cammie stood up straight and tried not to look too suspicious.

"Guys, we're leaving in thirty minutes," Joe smiled slightly at the sight of Cammie and Zach and left.

"You don't think he made any assumptions, do you?" Cammie asked Zach.

"He's a spy—of course he makes assumptions," Zach replied nonchalantly.

* * *

><p>The gang set out as the sun started to rise. Cammie smiled up as light filled the entire sky. She walked next to Macey and Zach while Bex and Grant stayed up ahead with Joe. They kept walking on for another forty-five minutes until the sound of water could be heard.<p>

Cammie stopped once she caught sight of the lake that Josh and she had been at before the attack. She swallowed hard and tried not to think about him. It wasn't working. She could still hear him in the back of her mind, saying, "Stay safe. I'll see you in a little while." She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

"Wow," Zach said dryly, noticing Cammie's broken down state. "You really aren't over Jimmy."

"For the hundredth time, his name's _Josh_!" Cammie cried out. She stared at Zach's surprised face and shook her head. "I...I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Macey glared at Zach from Cammie's right. "If anyone should be sorry, it should be Zach," she stood with her hands crossed sternly. "Your girlfriend's ex _died_ about two and a half weeks ago. Of course she's not over him!"

Cammie cringed as Macey emphasized the word 'died'.

Zach sighed. "You're right Macey," he turned to Cammie. "I'm sorry, Gallagher Girl."

"It's okay," Cammie muttered.

"Hey guys!" Bex called from in front of them. "Come on, we're here!"

Cammie raced with the others to catch up with Grant, Bex, and Joe. She saw the burnt outer fence of Gallagher and ran ahead.

"Gallagher Girl, wait!" Zach called out and chased after her.

Cammie came up to the fence and stared at the blackened portions. Hesitantly, she reached out with a finger and brushed the surface. She expected it to be hot, but the fence was cool to the touch. As Zach, Bex, Macey, Grant, and Joe caught up with her, Cammie walked alongside the fence, dragging her fingertips along. When she reached the gate, Cammie looked over her shoulder for permission from Joe.

Joe nodded slightly and Cammie pushed the gate open. She gave a small gasp of surprise at what lay in front of her. There was dirt, broken glass, and portions of furniture, paper, household items, and rubble everywhere. Everything looked burnt. Cammie walked through the wreckage and came up to the cafeteria. Like the fence, it had been burned. But that wasn't what kept Cammie a little skeptical.

Something seemed off. It was a certain smell. Kinda like the smell of—

Cammie's eyes widened and she ran towards the cafeteria doors. Joe shouted and hurried after.

"Cammie!" he called out.

She kicked the door opened and cried out in alarm. Her hand flew to her mouth at what she saw.

Bodies. Dead, bloody, burnt bodies lying everywhere around the room. _All those villagers I was assigned to protect,_ Cammie thought helplessly. _I failed my mission. They died because of me._

Cammie stumbled backwards into Zach's arms.

"Easy, Gallagher Girl," Zach murmured, holding her tightly. "Easy, now."

Cammie stared at the body in shock, trying to look away but failing. It was as if her mind was trying to make her feel even more guilty than she already was. She wanted to scream and cry but no sound came out of her mouth. After the strong stench became to unbearable to be in she turned her head to face Joe, who stood solemnly by her side. "Who did this?" she whispered.

"Catherine," Joe replied sadly.

Cammie felt Zach stiffen. "Why?" she asked Joe.

"She wanted revenge," Grant answered. He came up next to Cammie and smoothed her hair. "I'm sorry, Camster."

"Come on," Bex placed her hand on Cammie's arm. "Let's go somewhere else to get your mind off of this." She gently pulled Cammie from Zach and led her away with Macey beside them.

"Where do you want to go next?" Macey asked softly.

"My apartment," Cammie said, trying to inhale the fresh air so she wouldn't have any remains of the awful smell of the burnt bodies. She took the lead and walked in the direction of the residential area. Bex and Macey followed closely behind them. As Cammie approached the line of houses running up and down in aisles, she swallowed hard. The houses seemed fine, but all the belongings from the villagers had been dumped outside. To prove the point, Cammie stepped inside her apartment and discovered that it was bare. All the furniture had been removed and all the rooms were completely empty. She walked in each room and searched every nook and corner. Nothing.

Cammie left the house and met up with Bex and Macey outside. "Everything's outside," she murmured to them, staring at the piles of clothes, books, furniture, and other household items. She walked over to the pile in front of her house and sorted through the heap. She smiled when she saw a photo frame sticking out. Her finger hovered over the picture of Josh, Joe, and herself grinning widely. Cammie beamed at the handsome photo of Josh. She brushed a lone tear away and moved on, looking for other important stuff.

After a while, Cammie was able to recollect the photo, a scarf that she had gotten as a birthday present from Josh, and a necklace that Joe had given her from her mother. Cammie stood up and looked at Bex and Macey. "I think I'm done," she said.

"Great," Bex smiled. "I'll go tell the others. Macey," Bex turned to her. "don't let Cammie out of your sight." Bex ran off, leaving Macey alone with Cammie.

Macey came over to stand next to Cammie. She peered over her shoulder and chuckled at the photo Cammie was holding. "That's a cute picture," she commented. "I don't think I've ever seen Joe smile like that before." She paused a bit. "He sure seemed happy."

Just then, a loud sound of static from the comms unit pierced Macey's and Cammie's ears. They removed the devices quickly just as a shout sounded out followed by the ring of gunfire erupted. Macey and Cammie looked up, startled. Macey drew out her gun and beckoned for Cammie to do the same.

"Who is it?" Cammie asked urgently.

"Probably the Circle," Macey whispered back. "We gotta take cover. Stay close."

_Like I'm going to go anywhere,_ Cammie thought to herself.

Macey pressed against the wall of the apartments and peered around the corner. She came out from behind the wall and started shooting.

"Cam! Get to the roof!" She yelled while firing.

Cammie frantically followed her orders and started climbing the emergency/fire escape ladder that was attached to the back of the house. She made her way to the roof and crouched on the edge, watching Macey fight a couple of Circle agents. She started to search for either Zach, Joe, Bex, and Grant, but no one was in sight.

Suddenly, Cammie heard another gunshot, and then silence. Her eyes went back to where Macey was fighting the Circle agents and saw a couple of bodies lying on the ground, Macey's included.

"Macey!" Cammie screamed. She hung over the edge of the roof, thinking of what to do next. _It's too dangerous to go down now, _she thought worriedly.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her," a voice spoke out from behind Cammie.

Cammie spun around and stood, mouth gape wide open, at the figure standing before her.

"Hello Cameron."

Cammie tried to speak, but no words came out of her mouth except a single word.

"Catherine?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Bet you didn't see that coming :p No, you guys did. I did spoil that for you in the previous chapter. Sorry about that. You guys probably are so anxious for what's gonna happen next! Just for your sake, I'm gonna make the next chapter in Zach's , Macey's, Bex's, Joe's and Grant's POV to explain what happened when the Circle agents came to Gallagher. **

**Please, Please, PLEASE REVIEW! Only one person did that for the previous chapter, which was really sad. I really want to know what you think of this story, even if your thoughts are bad. Your reviews make my day and I really do read them. Sometimes I look at other stories and see that the author has like 200 reviews and they're on the third chapter or something and I'm on the eleventh chapter and I only have 38! That's so pathetic! Come on guys, you can do better!**

**Okay, I'm done with my rant now. I hope you all have a nice day and that I didn't hurt or offend anyone. Sorry if I did... All right then, bye!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back :) First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed Chameleon and/or 20 Questions. You're so amazing, and I love you all. And when I mean everyone, I mean kaitgirl, zammiegallaghergirl, JujuGrace, ccharis, Wisegirl958, these are my stories, Bee57, emcenrue2408, It's Kris, Liela54352, Wendy Pierce, RebeccahalE, 8, and Inspiration14. Thanks everyone! **

**kaitgirl: **Well, I can't wait for you to read the next chapter ;) Here ya go!

**zammiegallaghergirl: **OMG, your wait is over! Thanks so much XD

**JujuGrace: **Well, now I have 43 reviews, so I guess that's progress. Thank you for your review, and I'm glad you like this story. I hope this update came out soon enough. I checked out your stories. Don't worry, I think your plot is pretty cool. Great job on it!**_  
><em>**

**ccharis: **Oh, so that was you :) Sorry for the cliffy. I'm so happy that you like my story :D Here's your update!

**emcenrue2408:** OMG...I'm in love with your review! Don't worry, I would never abandon this story :)

**I'm pretty sure I said in the last chapter that Chapter 12 would have multiple POVs. And I always keep my word. Enjoy :p**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Ally Carter. Except plot/settings.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**Zach POV**

As Cammie walked away with Bex and Macey, Zach couldn't feel a bit sorry for her. She'd been through so much. And he just had go out and snap at her about not getting over Josh. _I guess I can be a bit insensitive sometimes..._

Joe told Grant and Zach to spread out and make sure nobody was around. They did so and Zach went towards the entrance. The whole waiting part was a bit boring for him, and all he really did was think about Cammie.

About half an hour passed and still nothing interesting was happening. Zach leaned against the fence, closed his eyes, and stayed still for a moment. Suddenly, Zach felt the fence shake slightly. His eyes flew open just in time to see a Circle agent throwing a fist at him. Zach ducked and then locked his arms around his opponent's head and dragged him to the ground. He knelt onto the agent's stomach and punched him a couple of times until he fell unconscious. Zach stood up and looked around for more agents. He spotted about a dozen heading towards the town square from the east entrance. Zach bolted off and shouted into his earpiece.

"Joe, Grant! The Circle's here!" Zach warned, but neither Joe nor Grant responded. Suddenly, his comms unit burst alive with a huge amount of static. Zach angrily ripped off the comms unit. He hurried after the Circle agents and took them down with his gun. Just as he was about to head off towards Cammie, Macey, and Bex, an agent came up from behind Zach and used some sort of an electrical gun on him for a good twenty seconds. Zach collapsed, and as he did, he saw the Circle agent lift up his gun and point it at Zach's body. Right when he was about to shoot, another Circle agent came up next to the first one and ordered, "Don't shoot the boy. Catherine wants him unharmed."

"_That's_ Goode?" the Circle agent raised his eyebrows and snickered at Zach's weak appearance. "Not much of a son is he?" he laughed cruelly.

_Catherine?!_ Zach's mind screamed. _My mother's here?!_ He tried to lift himself up, but he wasn't strong enough. The effects of the electrical gun hadn't worn off yet. Desperately, he tried to reach for his own gun, which was lying several feet away. One of the Circle agents noticed Zach and kicked the gun further away.

"Now why would I let you have that?" the agent chuckled. Zach stared up at the Circle agent and swore at him. The agent snarled and kicked Zach in the stomach. Zach barely flinched and grinned inside at the fact that he was getting on the agent's nerves.

The second agent pulled the other agent back and ordered him to stop. The first agent ignored him and stared venomously at Zach. "Oh, don't worry," the first agent grinned wickedly. "You'll be spared. We didn't come here for you. We came for the girl."

_Cammie. They're going to kill her._

"NO!" Zach yelled aloud. Suddenly he became less dizzy from the electrical gun and his head became clearer. "Leave her alone! Don't you dare touch her!" He stood up and staggered forward.

"Sorry, son," the Circle agent shrugged his shoulders. "Mother's orders." He took the back of his gun and whipped it across Zach's face. Zach crumpled to the ground. The last thing he saw were the fading figures of the two Circle Agents walking towards Cammie, Bex, and Macey.

"Gallagher Girl," he called out weakly and reached his arm out. And then everything became black.

* * *

><p><strong>Grant POV<strong>

As he left to the southern entrance of Gallagher, Grant stayed vigilant, keeping an eye out for Circle agents. _It'll probably be a quiet day today,_ he thought while leaning against the fence. He smirked at how exciting his life had suddenly become. Before Cammie arrived, Grant was just an Outlander trying to become one of Joe's favorites. Now, all of a sudden, he was out protecting a girl he cared for like his sister, and Joe counted Grant as one of his best. _And don't even get me started with Bex,_ he smiled. _That girl's a bombshell._

Of course Grant had eyed her from Day 1, but Bex never seemed like the dating type. Until Cammie came around. Ever since then, Bex had been showing signs of interest, and she was always flirting with Grant. A little while later, Grant finally had the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend, and to his surprise, she said yes. Which wasn't a bad thing. At all.

Grant sighed contently. _I could get used to this,_ he thought.

No sooner had he spoken those words, a Circle agent came out of nowhere and flipped Grant over his head.

_Whoa,_ Grant stared up at the sky from the ground in shock. _Where did that guy come from? _He jumped up and started to spar with the Circle agent. A couple of seconds later, Grant stood, undefeated, looking down at the unconscious Circle agent. He was just about to report to Joe when suddenly his comms unit went berserk. He ripped it off and threw it to the ground.

_The Circle's here,_ Grant thought in horror. _Cammie's in danger. I have to go warn the others._ He bolted off towards the village square. Hearing a noise behind him, he looked back and saw a swarm of Circle agents following him and heading in the same direction he was going.

_Faster Grant,_ he thought determinedly._ Do it for Cammie._

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

As soon Joe heard the static go off in his comms unit, he knew something was up. He was feeling a little uneasy about this whole mission before they had even set out.

When Joe spotted the first Circle agent, he ran straight him and easily took down the agent. But his luck faded as he spotted a wave of more agents coming in through the south entrance. With Grant running like a bullet before them. Grant started yelling and flailing his arms everywhere, and Joe got the obvious message. He signaled to Grant and ran to where Cammie, Macey, and Bex where.

As Joe approached the residential area, he spotted a body lying on the floor. He ran up and knelt down. He turned the body gently and his eyes widened when he looked down at the face of none other than Bex. Joe quickly checked her neck for a pulse. He sighed with relief when he felt a faint beating of her heart.

Joe was about to stand up again when he heard the cock of a trigger from behind him. His mouth pressed into a firm line. The person behind him started to speak.

"Oh, Joe. Such a shame," the familiar voice spoke out.

Joe stiffened and his eyes became alert. "Catherine," he spat out. "What a surprise."

"Wouldn't be the first time now, would it?" Catherine chuckled. "I'm sorry about the girl, Joe, but I had to stop her from coming to you." She snickered a little. "I'm going to have to keep you enclosed for now."

Joe couldn't see what Catherine was doing, but a Circle agent came in front of him and clamped two menacing handcuffs down onto Joe's wrists. Joe flinched in pain as the handcuffs squeezed down on his wrists and seemingly cut off his circulation. He couldn't move his hands at all, and his feet felt to numb to walk.

"Cool, huh?" Catherine smiled. She came around to the front of Joe. "It's a new type of technology the engineers up at _Cavan_ invented. The handcuffs are designed to stop your blood circulation so you'll become paralyzed." Catherine squatted down in front of Bex's body and looked at Joe in the eye. "And of course, only under my commands, the handcuffs can be released.

"After all these years," Catherine continued. "I've finally captured you." She glared at Joe. "You are going to pay for what you did."

Joe tried to fire a comeback at her, but no sound came out of his mouth.

"And if I think about it," Catherine smiled to herself. "I would say that you were getting a bit...sloppy. You would never show your face after an Outlander attack on a village until a month or something. What happened now? Did someone influence you to change your decision?" Catherine leaned close to Joe's ear. "Was it Cameron?"

Joe stiffened slightly. _Not Cammie,_ he thought. _I can't let them get to her._

Catherine sensed Joe's uncomfortableness, and grinned. She stood up again. "Oh, don't worry," she reassured Joe. "We'll find Cameron for you. And take her up to _Cavan_. As a matter of fact, there are a couple of people up there who are waiting for her arrival. Once she realizes how much better life is up there, she'll have no choice to join me. And once she does," Catherine giggled. "She'll tell us the location of Blackthorne.

"Now all I have to do is find her," Catherine waved her agents over. "Guard him," she ordered, pointing at Joe. "You three, come with me." She walked off, with the three agents following her, in the direction of the residence where Cammie was.

Joe stayed behind, watching helplessly, still kneeling in front of Bex's body, with the remaining Circle agents guarding him.

* * *

><p><strong>Macey POV<strong>

_Macey McHenry was never scared._

Macey kept repeating this over and over in her head, but she still feared for her life. And Cammie's. Just then, the girls heard a shout, which sounded eerily like Bex, and were showered with a line of bullets. Macey pulled out her gun and gestured to Cammie to do the same.

"Who is it?" Cammie asked.

_Only your boyfriend's psychotic mother._

But Macey didn't dare say that aloud. "Probably the Circle," she replied. _No duh. _"We got to take cover," she dragged Cammie behind the apartment wall. "Stay close." As soon as the firing ceased from the Circle agents, Macey stepped out into the open and started shooting the agents herself. She could see them clearly now. There were three or four of them standing with a—

A woman. With red hair. And the same eyes as her son.

"No," Macey whispered to herself. Time seemed to slow down. Macey lowered her gun and stood, shocked at Catherine's figure.

"She's here," Macey said quietly in disbelief. Suddenly, she realized that Cammie was still only several feet away from her.

"Cam! Get to the roof!" Macey yelled and started advancing towards the agents with her gun raised again. _That bi*ch ain't going anywhere near Cammie._

Macey kept walking towards the agents until she was about 20 feet away from them. One of the agents came forward and started to use hand-to-hand combat. Macey blocked his blows and flipped him over her shoulder. The agent lay still by her feet.

Macey looked up and was surprised to see that the rest of the agents had disappeared with Catherine. She whipped around and saw the retreating figures of the agents walking towards the building where Cammie was.

"NO!" Macey screamed and ran forward. She didn't know if Cammie had even made it to the roof. Before Macey could get to her, the agent she had supposedly "knocked out" stood up behind her and fired a single shot.

A single bullet. That's all it took.

Macey screamed in agony as her leg went limp. She collapsed on the ground and clutched her leg. The blood seeped through her fingers. Using all of her strength, Macey turned on her back and raised her gun. She shot the agent squarely on the chest and he fell as well.

But it was too late. Catherine and her henchmen had already left for Cammie.

"I'm so sorry, Cam," Macey whispered as she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

Bex hadn't been expecting the Circle agent to jump out at her like with an electrical gun in his hand. But he was incredibly fast, for Bex had only seconds to realize what was going on before she had fallen to the ground because of the electrical shock.

_I've got to warn Cammie,_ Bex thought. Her comms unit starting screaming a static in her ear, and Bex winced at the loud noise.

"Beta secure," Bex heard the Circle agent say to his earpiece. The agent bent down over Bex and stunned her again. This time the effects took over and Bex fell unconscious.

When Bex awoke again, she was still lying in the same position as she was before. Her muscles had become very sore. She was about to raise her head when she saw that someone was kneeling in front of her.

Joe. He was locked up with thick metal handcuffs and was staring grimly ahead.

Bex stared up at him until Joe finally looked down again and noticed that she had woken up. His mouth twitched into a smile and moved is eyes to his right. Bex looked behind Joe and saw the three Circle agents talking quietly next to Joe. Bex looked back up at Joe and slowly brought a gun out from her under her shirt. She grinned at Joe and mouthed the words, "On three."

Joe nodded and counted. When three seconds had passed, Bex jumped up and shot the three agents. Then she hauled Joe to his feet and they took off towards Cammie and Macey.

"Bex! Wait up!" a voice called out from behind Bex. She turned and saw Grant hurrying towards them with Zach limping beside him.

"I found Zach lying near the village square," Grant moved to Zach's other side and draped his arm around his own shoulders.

"Okay," Bex nodded distractedly. "We have to go find Cammie and Macey. Come on!" The four ran over to where Cammie and Macey where.

Bex saw Macey's body lying on the ground next to the agent. Macey's chest was lifting up and down softly, and the others sighed in relief. Bex looked down at the bullet wound in the agent's chest and said, "He's dead. You guys go on; I'll take care of Macey." The boys left, in search of Catherine and Cammie.

Bex kneeled down next to Macey and cringed when she saw her bleeding leg. It looked like the bullet had grazed her skin, but it would still take a long time to heal.

"Macey," Bex whispered softly. She placed Macey's head in her lap and tried to wake her up.

"Wha—" the girl's eyes opened slowly and she frowned slightly at the blazing sun above. "Cammie!" She suddenly cried.

"Relax, the boys are going after her," Bex assured her. "Here," she helped Macey sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Macey answered. She looked down at her leg and groaned.

"We've gotta get you back to Blackthorne," Bex murmured, staring wistfully in the distance. "God, I hope Cammie's okay."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"How are you, Cameron?" Catherine smiled serenely at her.

_How are you?_ Cammie struggled to find an answer. She had been expecting Catherine to be so...polite. After all, hadn't she killed Cammie's parents? Why was she suddenly acting as if they were old friends?

_This woman's crazier than I thought._

"Why do you want me?" Cammie asked instead.

"That's a good question," Catherine replied. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you that quite yet." Then Catherine turned around and faced her Circle agents. "Leave now," She ordered. "Go get the transport ready." The Circle agents obeyed and left Catherine and Cammie alone on the roof.

"Transport?" Cammie echoed. "You're going to kidnap me?"

"Something of the sort," Catherine turned back around. "You still haven't answered my question, Cameron. How are you? How's life in Blackthorne?"

"It's...good," Cammie hesitantly answered.

"Good, huh?" Catherine gave a sickening grin. "I can imagine. Joe must really love you."

"He does," Cammie said defiantly.

"And the word is," Catherine dropped to a low voice. "He's not the only boy who loves you."

Cammie's heart beat started to quicken. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard that you and my son have been getting close."

"I never—"

"He's a wonderful boy, isn't he? So smart and handsome. I can see why you like him."

Cammie started to feel a little scared. "How do you know about all this?"

"I have my sources," Catherine shrugged. "But, honestly, I don't know why you ditched Josh for my son. He was a pretty good guy as well."

"Josh is dead," Cammie said coldly. "You killed him." _Just like you killed my parents._

"How do you know that he's actually dead?" Catherine raised an eyebrow. "He may be very well alive right now."

"Joe said—"

"Ah, of course, Joe said. When are you going to stop believing everything he says?"

"What are _you_ saying?"

"I'm saying that Josh is alive."

"_Alive_?"

Just then, Cammie heard running footsteps. She looked behind Catherine's shoulder and spotted Zach running across the roof with some type of a weapon in his hand.

It was all a blur. Zach yelled out, "Gallagher Girl! Duck!" And Cammie did. Zach raised the weapon and fired it. A huge rope shot out and spun towards Catherine, and entangled her.

Catherine stumbled backward, towards Cammie. "No!" She yelled at Zach. "Zach, why would you do this to me?!" Cammie ran forward into Zach's arms.

"You okay, Gallagher Girl?" Zach asked Cammie, ignoring Catherine. He took Cammie and climbed down the ladder of the roof. Once safely on the ground, Cammie hurried over to Joe and Grant.

"Cammie!" Joe came toward her. "Let's get you out of here."

"What about Catherine?" Cammie looked back, but couldn't see her anywhere.

"Forget about her, we need to leave," Zach took Cammie's arm and they ran away from the residential area. Up ahead, Cammie could spot Bex, and Macey waiting for her.

"Macey!" Cammie cried out and wrenched herself from Zach's grip. "Oh my gosh, I was so scared. I thought you died—I," she took a breather and stared at the open gash. "How's your leg?"

"It's doing well," Macey smiled. "But Grant thinks that I might have to sit out for a couple of weeks."

"There's no time for chit-chat," Joe said urgently. "I've called Liz and Jonas to send a transport for us. We have to meet them in the forest."

The gang hurriedly left Gallagher, shooting any Circle agents they encountered on the way. At one point, Cammie thought she saw Catherine walking away with a Circle agent from the south entrance, but it could have just been her imagination.

When they reached the heart of the forest, Zach noticed Cammie's sullen look. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"When I was talking to Catherine earlier," Cammie started. "She said that Josh was alive." She looked up at Zach with hopeful eyes.

"I..." Zach tried to say. He also seemed surprised by the news. "My mother says a lot of things," Zach reminded Cammie. "She was probably just—"

"But Zach, what if she's _right_?" Cammie asked. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"I don't know," Zach answered, while looking at the ground.

Cammie realized that she had made Zach feel uncomfortable, so she dropped the topic. Just then, they came across a large clearing with nothing but grass.

"This is where we wait," Joe stopped the others from walking any forward. They didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes, a loud whirring sound came out of nowhere. Cammie looked up and saw that a huge plane was flying low overhead.

"That's them," Joe called out to everyone. They stood back as the plane landed in the clearing. The hangar door opened, and Liz stepped out.

"Oh, Cam!" she cried out and flung her arms around Cammie.

"Hi, Liz," Cammie said weakly.

"I got so scared when Joe called," Liz confessed. "You're going to have to tell me the story once we start flying." She turned and spotted Macey's wound. "Macey! Oh, you poor thing. Let's get you inside. Jonas is at the wheel."

The gang followed her inside the hangar. Some Blackthorne students stood there with first aid equipment, ready to help. Grant and Zach went to the cockpit to replace Jonas.

Once Liz got Macey settled in on the hospital bed, she and Jonas got to work trying to figure out a way to take Joe's handcuffs off so that he could clean up Macey's wound. Cammie sat next to Bex in the cabin.

Bex turned to smile at her. "Long day, huh?"

"Sure was," Cammie laughed slightly. "Thanks for rescuing me, though."

"Anytime."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Was that intense? You guys are probably thinking, _of course the gang was able to rescue Cammie from Catherine._ Well, she might have gotten saved this time, but who knows what'll happen the next time Catherine comes after her?**

**I really have this cool idea about the whole Josh-being-alive-thing. I know some of you guys might not be to happy about it, but I think it will tie in nicely with the story. I'll elaborate more in the next chapter.**

**Other that all of that, I think this chapter was another success. I hope you guys enjoyed those shoutouts before. What did you guys think of the chapter? **

**Remember to review or PM your thoughts! **

**And be sure to check out my other story, 20 Questions :)**

**Bye!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm really excited (and kinda sad) because today was the last day of school. I'm gonna miss my friends so much, but I'm really looking forward to the summer. I'll be in town for the entire break, and I'll be updating this story constantly!**

**ccharis: **Your review is amazing! Thank you for being honest, though. I'm glad you liked the chapter; I hope you like this one!

**zammiegallaghergirl:** Awww, thank you! I really appreciate this :) Here's your update!

**Guest:** Yes, the handcuffs, will be taken off (they will find a way) in this chapter. Keep reading!

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Yes, Josh is behind a whole entire other conspiracy, as I mentioned before. I hope you like this chapter.

**So. We left off when Joe, Zach, Grant, Macey and Bex were able to save Cammie from Catherine and Cammie realizes how much danger she is in. For now, I'm kinda gonna take a break from the whole Catherine thing and add a couple of other events and then come back to Catherine. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girl Series.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

**Joe POV**

"You said that Catherine was the only person who could take this off?" Liz asked for the tenth time.

"Yes," Joe replied for the tenth time. "It's voice controlled."

"Well," Jonas said. "Maybe we could override that system." He shoved all his papers and instruments aside and took Joe's hands. "Place the handcuffs on this screen," Jonas ordered.

Joe obeyed and pressed the handcuffs against the screen on the desk. The computer whirred to life and a series of numbers appeared on the viewing screen. They were all in random order and changed every few seconds.

"An encrypted file," Jonas mused.

"An easy fix," Liz smiled and got to work. "We're just going to use this," she held up a small USB, "to find the decryption code." She set the USB on the computer screen and the numbers in the encrypted file started to disappear, leaving some behind. After three fourths of the numbers disappeared, the ones left behind were rearranged into a single line. Liz beamed at the outcome.

"There you go," she said contently. "Just repeat those numbers and it should come off."

Joe did repeat the numbers aloud, and much to his amazement, the handcuffs did fall right off. "Um, what did you do?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Well, Catherine didn't know that if you have a voice controlled device, there's always an encrypted file to protect the voice control system. Obviously, her engineers didn't bother telling her that it's fairly easy to crypt an encrypted file and override the system by repeating the code," Jonas said proudly.

"Right," Joe nodded, not really understanding what Jonas just explained.

"I guess you're all set to go, then," Liz cleaned up the desk and shut off the computer. "You should go check on Macey. I'll come in a little bit."

"Thanks guys." Joe left the room, rubbing his wrists. He entered the medical room where Macey was lying. "How are you doing?" he asked, and stuck his hands into some latex gloves.

"Okay so far," Macey grimaced as she turned her head to face Joe.

"Good. I'm going to tear this bandage off from your leg and check to see if any bullet pieces went inside your skin," Joe explained. He took the bandage off and wiped the blood off from around the wound. The graze was only about an inch deep, not hard at all for someone with medical training. Some blood started to ooze out from the wound, and Joe was forced to press his hands against Macey's skin.

"Liz!" Joe called out. "I'm gonna need some assistance."

"Coming," Liz appeared a few seconds later and put on a pair of gloves. "What do you want me to do?"

"Turn on the camera next to me. We're gonna stick it inside her leg and monitor what the camera's capturing on the computer," Joe commanded.

Liz did so and pulled a pair of tweezers from a drawer. She handed it to Joe. He carefully removed his hands form the wound, but more blood started to slip out.

Macey started to whimper as the blood dripped down from her leg. She gripped the sides of the table and bit her lip to keep from screaming in pain.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Joe grabbed a towel and mopped up the blood. "I'm gonna clamp the artery while you give Macey some anesthesia, Liz."

"All right," Liz walked over to Macey's side. "It's okay, Macey" Liz assured as she applied the anesthesia. She pressed a mask to Macey's face. Seconds later, Macey fell into a deep sleep.

"Good," Joe breathed. He pulled a wire attached to the computer monitor. Then, carefully, he slipped the camera inside the deep hole in Macey's leg. The computer lit up with the footage of the inside of Macey's body.

Liz stood by Joe's elbow, ready to jump in and help.

Joe carefully pushed a vein to the side and saw a piece of shrapnel sitting, nestled away, in between two other veins. He stuck his tweezers in and pulled the piece of the bullet out. He repeated this for the next couple of pieces and after a while, the broken bullet was sitting on a table, out from Macey's body.

"Done," Joe smiled to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Macey POV<strong>

Liz removed the mask from Macey and eased her awake. As she did so, Joe took some gauze and wrapped Macey's leg up again. He washed his hands and excused himself from the room.

"Macey?" Liz carefully called out. The girl's eyelids fluttered open and Liz helped her sit up. "Hang on a sec, I'm gonna get the wheelchair."

"Wheelchair? What's going on?" Macey mumbled. She rubbed her eyes and stared down at her bandaged leg. _Oh right, I got shot. _Liz came back, pushing the wheelchair.

"Wait, I have to sit in _that_?" Macey frowned. "I can walk fine."

"Macey, we can't let you walk with that gunshot wound," Liz said sternly.

"I'll be fine. Watch," Macey swung her legs slowly over the bed's side and tried to stand. She collapsed instead and flung her arms out wildly. Thankfully, Liz was there to catch her.

"See what I mean?" Liz chuckled softly. She sat Macey down into the wheelchair and pushed her from the medical room. _I hate it when Liz's right._

"This _sucks_," Macey groaned.

"You'll get used to it," Liz smiled sympathetically.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

As Bex was explaining what had gone down with her and the Circle agents, Cammie suddenly saw Liz pushing a wheelchair with Macey in it past her shoulder.

_Oh no. Macey in a wheelchair? This can't be good._

"Macey," Cammie stood up, interrupting Bex.

"What is it?" Bex turned and her mouth opened slightly.

"Are you all right?" Cammie walked towards Macey.

"What does it look like?" Macey grumbled, wheeling herself towards the two.

"I—I'm really sorry, Mace," Bex said. "But at least you're okay."

Just then, the cockpit door opened and Zach and Grant stepped out.

"Macey...wow...um, are you—" Grant stammered.

"Just leave me alone!" Macey shouted exasperatedly and spun herself out of the cabin.

"We should give her some space," Liz suggested.

"Yeah," Cammie echoed.

The door to the cockpit slid open once again. "Guys," Joe called out from the pilot's seat. "We're going to land in a couple of minutes." Cammie nodded and strapped herself into a seat with the others.

After a little bit, the plane arrived at Blackthorne and hovered over the forest floor where the school was underneath. A hatch opened up from the ground and the plane lowered down into the school. The crew got off and was met by a few Blackthorne teachers, Patricia Buckingham, Madame Dabney, and Harvey Mosckowitz.

"Are you okay, Cameron?" Professor Buckingham came hurrying forward and placed her hands on Cammie's shoulders.

"I'm fine Pat—er—Professor Buckingham," Cammie smiled sheepishly.

"You should get yourself some rest," Professor Buckingham led Cammie and the others to the elevator.

Cammie was transported back to her room, and Bex, Liz, Zach, Grant, and Jonas joined her. Macey had disappeared after they had all departed the plane, and Cammie suspected that she was still a little mad about the whole wheelchair situation.

"Whew," Bex sank into one of Cammie's armchairs. "That was some mission."

"I'll say," Grant sighed.

The gang stayed in Cammie's room for the next few hours, making jokes and talking among themselves. A few times Zach and Jonas left and came back a few minutes later, not saying where he was. Cammie's eyes followed him suspiciously every time and the anxiety was starting to eat her out.

At one point, Zach re entered the room sat down on the foot of Cammie's bed. "You know Gallagher Girl, I've been thinking. You've obviously improved over the past couple of months that you've been at Blackthorne, and I think it's time you deserved a...promotion."

"Promotion?" Cammie raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Zach continued. "We're all Outlanders here," he gestured to the three girls and Grant and Jonas, "And we all have Outlander masks."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Cammie couldn't suppress her smile.

"I think you're qualified to receive an Outlander mask," Zach looked around at the others. "What do you guys think?"

Bex nodded. "You're definitely eligible."

Liz agreed. "You've proven yourself a countless number of times."

"It would be nice to have you as an Outlander," Grant grinned.

"As a matter of fact," Jonas smiled shyly. "We've already prepared your mask." He pulled out a clear mask from behind him with a slightly green tinge.

"From now on, you shall be known as," Jonas placed the mask on Cammie. "Chameleon."

"Chameleon," Cammie tried out the name on her lips. "Why Chameleon?"

"Because it's so easy for you to blend in with others," Zach explained. "You're a pavement artist."

"Cool," Cammie grinned as the mask whirred to life. It turned on and a bunch of diagrams and words appeared in front of her eyes. "What can this thing do?" she asked.

"Well," Liz started. "Since you are known as Chameleon, the mask allows you to change your appearance at will."

"Really?" Cammie said. "How does it work?"

"You just have to think of a disguise, and the mask will immediately take its shape."

"Um, okay," Cammie closed her eyes and concentrated hard on a certain person. _Joe_. She pictured his graying hair, dark eyes, and mysterious smile. Slowly, Cammie felt a queer sensation coming over her. She opened her eyes seconds later and found herself staring back at several shocked faces. The gang gaped at her, mouths open.

"What?" Cammie looked down. She was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket. She looked back up at the gang, a bit surprised as well.

"Joe?" Bex asked slowly. "Or are you still Cam?"

"I'm still me," Cammie answered slowly, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile. "I guess it worked."

"That's so cool!" Grant laughed. "Joe's gonna freak when you—"

Just then, the door opened and the real Joe walked into the room. "Guys, I got a report—" He stopped short when he saw Cammie, or rather, himself, standing in the middle of the room.

"What's going on?" Joe looked utterly confused. Then, the truth seemed to dawn on him. "Wait a second...you gave Cammie her mask, didn't you?"

"Isn't it awesome?" Bex grinned.

"I'm so jealous," Zach added.

"Okay, I think you should change back," Joe replied cautiously. "This is getting a little weird."

"How exactly am I supposed to do that?" Cammie turned to Liz and Jonas.

"Just concentrate on your appearance, and you should be able to change back to yourself," Liz answered. Cammie did so and soon she was back in her normal body.

"That's better," Joe said. "Now, as I was saying. I just got a report from one of the leaders of the other villages, Samuel Winters."

"Who's he?" Grant asked.

"One of my old friends. He's an Outlander as well, and wants us to attack his village and rescue himself and his son," Joe explained.

"When will the attack take place?" Bex inquired.

"After a few weeks. We have time, but we have to make sure all our soldiers are properly trained," Joe informed.

"Where's the village?" Zach asked.

"It's called Washington, and it's a couple of hours north of Blackthorne," Joe replied. "I'm gonna make a speech before dinner starts, which is in a couple of minutes, so I suggest you come down to the cafeteria."

The gang nodded and followed Joe out of Cammie's apartment. She locked the door behind her and set off with Zach.

"You're so lucky to get a mask like that," Zach chuckled. "You should lend it to me during missions sometimes."

"We'll see," Cammie smiled. A question popped into her head. "So you know how my mask is a chameleon?" She asked Zach. "What animal is yours?"

"A tiger," Zach half smiled. "But it's not as fancy as yours. All mine does is give me more stealth, power in my punches, and quick feet."

"Like a tiger," Cammie clarified.

"Exactly," Zach said. "It's not much."

Cammie nodded. "No, it's cool." She started to quicken her pace to catch up with the rest of the group. "And I think you'd look very flattering in orange and black stripes."

"Very funny."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Done! What'd you guys think? Were you surprised to hear that Samuel Winters was the leaders of one of the villages? And wherever there's a Samuel Winters, there's always a Preston Winters nearby as well! I have really great plans for both characters, so you should be excited for that. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Remember to review! I got a lot of followers and favorites for the previous chapters, but only three reviews...I'll keep my fingers crossed for this chapter! Bye everyone :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi, how's everyone doing? I know the last chapter was kinda a filler, and I hate to say this, but this one kinda is, too. Sorry... And I'm also sorry for the long update. Anyways, thank you to anyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, etc my stories. It means a lot to me :)**

**zammiegallaghergirl:** Yeah, so do I! It would definitely come in handy :p

**mal.k:** I'm happy you liked the previous chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one just as much!

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx:** Deciding to foreshadow, huh? You'll find out everything soon, I promise.

**Disclaimer: Ally Carter is the author of the Gallagher Girls series and the rightful owner of the characters.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

**Cammie POV**

The cafeteria slowly started to fill up with students and teachers. Cammie clasped on to Zach's hand as she squeezed through the crowd and headed over to the table where the rest of her friends usually sat at. She noticed Joe sitting near the front of the room with the other teachers.

At the table sat Bex, Liz, Grant, Jonas, and surprisingly Macey. She still looked a little upset, but at least she had shown up to dinner. As Cammie and Zach down, they helped themselves to the food that was laid out on the table.

"Your shirt looks pretty, Macey," Cammie complimented only to get a word out of Macey's mouth.

"Thanks," Macey mumbled but didn't move her gaze from her plate.

Cammie looked to her right as Joe stood up and cleared his throat. The cafeteria suddenly became quiet, and the loud chatter toned down to a quiet whisper.

_Only Joe has enough talent to get a whole population of 300 students quiet within seconds,_ Cammie thought admiringly.

"Thank you," Joe nodded curtly. "You all have probably realized that we haven't done any Outlander work recently." He looked around the room. "Well that time is coming to an end." He paused and continued on. "There's a village about 70 miles from here, called Washington. The leader's name is Samuel Winters. He's a dear friend of mine. Which means he's an Outlander.

"He wants us to invade Washington because apparently Catherine is rapidly dominating the village. And we all know how that feels like." Murmurs of agreement wove throughout the room.

"The plan is simple," Joe continued. "We train for a couple of weeks. Our elite team will be deploying with the rest of you as backup. We will have two main pickups. Samuel, and his son, Preston Winters. Preston is 18 years old. Blonde hair, gray eyes." Joe pulled up a picture that appeared out of thin air and hovered in front of his face. Preston was tall and skinny, but seemed overall well-built.

Cammie heard a sharp intake of breath behind her. She turned slightly and saw Macey staring at the picture of Preston, her mouth hanging slightly open. Her eyes were shining, and her cheeks started to turn red. Cammie stifled a giggle and turned back around. _Looks like Macey's finally found her match._

Later, Cammie was walking with her friends and all the other students from dinner. Bex and Liz were by her side and Zach, Grant, and Jonas were having a deep conversation behind them. Macey was wheeling herself quietly in front of the other girls. After a few minutes, the gang reached the boys' quarters, and they said their goodbyes as the boys left. A couple more minutes passed, and then Liz and Bex departed in the direction of their rooms. As Macey and Cammie neared their apartments, Cammie couldn't help but run up to Macey and ask, "So, what'd you think of the kid Joe was talking about earlier?"

"Who?" Macey asked innocently.

Cammie chuckled. "You know, the guy you were drooling over?"

"I was _not_ drooling over Preston!" Macey shouted indignantly.

Cammie faked gasped. "You remembered his name! That means you're _interested_ in him," she laughed.

"That doesn't mean—" Macey sputtered.

"You like him, you like him, you like him," Cammie danced around Macey.

"Will you shut—"

"Oh, I can't get over his _perfect_ muscles, and that _dazzling_ smile," Cammie grabbed the flowered scarf wrapped around Macey's neck and jokingly fanned herself with it. She even let out a small squeal. "And he's _eighteen_. That means he's an _older boy_." She laughed at Macey's embarrassed expression and ran down the hall, with the scarf in her hands.

"Cameron Anne Morgan!" Macey shouted while wheeling herself after Cammie. "You get back here this instant!"

"How do you know my middle name?" Cammie suddenly stopped, breathless.

"I'm a spy, aren't I?" Macey finally reached Cammie, grabbed her scarf and wheeled off in a huff.

Cammie stood in the hall. She stared after Macey and started to trudge to her room. I_f Macey knows my middle name, then what else do the others know about me that they haven't mentioned? What if it's something I _don't _know?_

The next few days consisted of heavy physical training for the "elite team", which consisted of all the students who were in the highest level of Blackthorne. Liz and Jonas wouldn't be fighting because they weren't field agents. Macey was still handicapped, so she would be sitting out as well.

Unfortunately, since the elite team consisted of the highest level students, that meant that Tina Walters would also be there. As soon as Joe rounded up the students into the giant gym, Tina immediately came bounding over to where Cammie, Bex, Zach, and Grant stood.

"Hi Cammie!" Tina waved excitedly.

"Um, hi," Cammie smiled.

"It's so cool that we're both on the elite team, right?" Tina gushed.

Zach snorted and almost burst out laughing, but he covered it up with cough. Cammie gave him a look and turned back to Tina.

"You know," Tina started. "You sure do spend a lot of time with Zach..."

"Yeah, I do," Cammie said slowly. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No! Of course that isn't wrong," Tina said quickly. "If you and Zach are...together," she added slyly.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Zach said exasperatedly. He came up from behind Cammie and put an arm around her waist. "We're together, all right?" Cammie looked up at him in surprise.

Tina let out a squeal and a huge grin spread across her face. "I knew it!" She giggled. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two!" She each gave Zach and Cammie a hug and then skipped off to a group of girls and chattered excitedly to them.

Cammie woefully stared after Tina. "You know, you didn't have to tell her," she told Zach.

"She probably wasn't going to leave us alone if we kept denying it," Zach pointed out.

When Cammie didn't respond, he pulled Cammie's arm towards the others. "Come on, let's get back to practice."

* * *

><p>"So Zach just spilled the beans?" Bex asked as the students filed out of the gym after training. She slung a hand towel over shoulder and took a gulp of water.<p>

"Yeah," Cammie mopped the sweat from her forehead; the training had been really intense for the first day.

"Wow," Bex exhaled. "You must be having some mixed feelings." She stopped in the middle of the hallway and faced Cammie.

"Well, it's not too bad," Cammie replied. "I mean, I did expect him to hide our relationship for as long as we could, but what happened today wasn't horrible or anything."

"Cammie, you don't understand," Bex said. "He told _Tina_, out of all people. Tina has sources and other contacts everywhere around the school. I'm certain that by tonight, _everyone_ is going to know about you and Zach."

"I guess, but," Cammie sighed. "Whatever, I'm not really supposed to care, so—"

"Of course you are," Bex interjected. She paused. "When Grant and I started dating, we both promised to keep it quiet for a while. But then people started to figure out, so it's not that we had broken the promise or anything. What Zach did was kinda...unexpected."

"I know," Cammie said. "But stuff like this happens often during relationships, right? I mean, I can't just blame him for one simple mistake." By now, all the students had returned to their rooms, and Bex and Cammie were left alone in the hall.

"Well, could he be mad or angry at something that happened between you two recently?" Bex asked.

"Um," Cammie thought back. "Maybe about the whole Catherine coming to Gallagher situation?"

"But all she did was talk to you on a roof. Why would Zach be conflicted about that?" Bex replied. "Unless she said something that you didn't tell me about..."

"She did say something..." Cammie said slowly. "She said that...Josh was still alive."

"_What_?" Bex exclaimed. "She said that?"

"Yes?" Cammie said timidly.

"Why didn't you tell me before?!" Bex asked.

"I don't know, I was confused, and—"

"No wonder Zach is acting weird," Bex mused. "He feels jealous and angry that Josh is back, and he wants to keep your relationship with him real and alive. So he wants to declare it to everyone so they know that no one can get into the middle of you two."

"Ugh," Cammie groaned. "I really can't deal with this now. I have to go to sleep." She turned to the direction of her room.

"Cam," Bex grabbed onto Cammie's hand before she left. "If Josh is really back, then you have bigger problems to deal with."

"I know," Cammie sighed.

"Good night," Bex smiled and then turned and walked away from Cammie.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cammie had gotten back to her regular life in Blackthorne. She went to her classes with Bex, Macey, and Liz, did her homework, and never spent a minute worrying about Catherine and her relationship with Zach. That is, until one day, Joe pulled Cammie aside after a period of CoveOps had ended.<p>

"Cameron, can I talk to you for a second?" Joe called out from his desk as the students were leaving the classroom.

"Go on without me," Cammie told Bex, Macey, and Liz. She turned and walked over to Joe. "Yeah?"

"Hey," Joe stood up and ruffled Cammie's hair. "I haven't really had the chance to sit down and talk with you lately. How's everything?"

"Uh," Cammie didn't really know how to have a conversation like this. "Everything's fine."

"Really?" Joe raised his eyebrows. "You were almost kidnapped by the founding leader of the Circle less than a week ago, and suddenly everything's fine?"

"Aside from that," Cammie stared wistfully at the door.

Joe smiled. "Sit down, let's talk." He gestured to the many desks and chairs in the classroom.

Cammie sighed and took a seat. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, for starters, how have you been coping with your new life?"

"Joe, it's been _months_ since I arrived here at Blackthorne, and _now_ you decide to ask how I have been doing?"

"I know," Joe chuckled. "I'm not so great at the whole parenting thing, am I?"

"No," Cammie said quickly. "You are great."

"Then what is it?" Joe asked.

"It's just me," Cammie said. "Me and my crazy complications of life."

"What's wrong?" Joe said, concerned.

"I guess it's just the whole Catherine thing," Cammie shrugged her shoulders. "And then Zach being her son and all."

"It's hard—I know," Joe smiled comfortingly. "How are you and Zach doing?"

"Um, good," Cammie answered. "It's been a little rocky here and there, but good."

"Good," Joe nodded. "What about you and the girls?"

"Oh we're great," Cammie grinned. "We're all really close now. Macey's a little distant because she's in the wheelchair and everything. She's kinda annoyed. And then yesterday, I started teasing her about Preston Winters. She got a little pissed at that, too."

"Samuel's son?" Joe laughed. "Oh yeah, I saw the way she was looking at his picture during dinner."

"Yeah, I know!" Cammie exclaimed. She leaned back in her chair and smiled at how well she was getting along with her "dad."

Over the next half an hour or so, Cammie and Joe had talked up a storm. She had told him everything on her new life at Blackthorne, and he listened intently. The conversation slowly turned into the direction of Cammie's parents and Joe's life when he was younger.

"I miss your mom and dad, a lot," Joe said. "I'd be lying if I said that I don't think about them every day."

Cammie nodded. Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "Did my parents have any siblings?"

"Matt was an only child," Joe replied. "Rachel had a younger sister. Her name was Abigail."

"Abigail," Cammie whispered.

"Cameron."

Cammie looked up. "Yeah?"

"No, that was her last name," Joe said quickly. "Abigail Cameron."

"Mom's maiden name?"

"Yeah, she named you after it."

Cammie slowly processed this information. "Is my aunt still alive?" she asked.

Joe shook his head sadly. "She died in a fire. I was out with Matt and the other Outlander members having a meeting at another village. When we came back, there was a burned up house and a body. Your mother and her parents were in the cafeteria with Patricia. I still remember that day... Matt and I were walking through the gates of Gallagher, and the guards told us what had happened. We started hurrying to find Rachel, and when we entered the cafeteria, she came running up to Matt with tears streaming down her face.

"I even have a locket that Abby used to own. Half of it got destroyed in the fire, but the other half I have in my desk. My piece has _Abigail_ carved into it. The other piece, where ever it is, has _Cameron_ on it."

"Wow," Cammie exhaled. "Are all of my family members dead?"

"Not me," Joe smiled and took Cammie's hands. "I'm right here. Always will be."

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There we go. Wasn't too bad, was it? I kinda wanted to get this information about Abby out. Don't worry, she'll be back. Did you guys enjoy the Joe/Cammie bonding time? Joe is kinda the only family Cammie has right now, and I wanted to get that across the board. Thanks for reading :) And don't forget to REVIEW! Bye XD**

**~bookwormbullet**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey :) How's everyone doing? My school just started today, so the last few days have been busy!**

**I'm really sorry for the long update guys. And I _know_ it's been a while; I'm really sorry. I wrote like 4/5ths of the chapter with a ton of ideas, and then while I was writing the last 1/5th, I kinda got some writer's block...But not to worry! I wrote a SUPER LONG chapter for you guys :)**

**Before I start this chapter, though, I have to give a shoutout to my #1 reviewer over the past few weeks, xXFangirlingBookwormXx. She's so incredible! She's reviewed every chapter she's read so far, and she's been so kind and wonderful :) And, she was nice enough to mention my story in one of her shoutouts! Yay! So, in return, I would just like to recommend her story, _Revenge is Deadly_, a Gallagher Fanfic. It's so suspenseful and thrilling and wickedly brilliant. She has also written two other stories, a Harry Potter Fanfic, _Can I Tell You a Secret?_ and an adorable Percy Jackson one shot, _Wise Girl vs. Seaweed Brain_ as well! Check those out for me, okay? Thanks :)**

** Anyways, this chapter's DEFINITELY going to have Preston, as people were asking.**

**Just a quick few shout outs:**

**Guest:** I don't know, you'll have to find out. You're in luck; Preston will enter the story in this chapter. I'm glad you like this story :)

**xXFangirlingBookwormXx: **MWUAHAHA! Lol, you'll find out in the next few chapters!

**BooksLover2000:** Hahaa, I'm glad you liked it :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of this story.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

**Preston POV**

"Dad, can I talk to you for a second?" Preston knocked lightly on the door as he entered his father's office.

"Sure, son. What's this about?" Samuel Winters folded his hands over his desk.

"I just wanted to check in with you. I mean, we haven't really spoken for a while, and—" Preston was cut off by the entrance of his father's secretary, Ms. Hartridge.

"Sir, Mr. Solomon is on the line," Ms. Hartridge said. She gave Preston a thin smile and left the room.

"Sorry, son. I gotta take this call. We'll talk later, okay?" Mr. Winters stood up from his seat and was about to follow Ms. Hartridge, but Preston stopped him.

"Who's this 'Solomon' guy that keeps calling? This is, like, the 10th call this week."

"I—" Mr. Winters looked flustered at his son's question. "He's a...friend."

"Friend?" Preston scoffed. "Dad, the only friends you have are the political scumbags who think you like them, when really you don't."

"Preston," Mr. Winters sighed. "I have to go."

"Of course you do," Preston scowled and walked away. He left the building and stepped outside. Next to the entrance was a group of soldiers, talking quietly. Preston was a bit surprised. The soldiers rarely spent time in the middle of the village.

"Usually they're out and about when there's a...military emergency," Preston said to himself in realization.

Preston felt his pulse start to race. A military emergency? Why didn't his father tell him about it earlier? Perhaps that was why this 'Solomon' guy kept calling. Maybe he has something to do with it. Preston straightened his shoulders and calmly walked past the soldiers, trying to get a word of what they were talking about.

"We have to keep in mind...they will not hurt anyone...the Outlanders have been ordered to..." slips of the conversation flew into Preston's ears.

_Outlanders!_ Preston's eyes widened. He hurriedly walked away from the soldiers and towards his house.

_This has gone too far,_ Preston thought worriedly. _Anything with the Outlanders involved is bad news._

Preston hurried to his house, or mansion, really. It was three stories tall and had a Victorian feel to it. Thomas, the footman, greeted him as Preston walked up to the gates. He entered the mansion and almost ran into the butler on his way in.

"Preston! Where have you been? Your tennis lesson starts in eight minutes!" The butler spoke sternly and beckoned Preston to follow him.

"Gerard, I can explain—" Preston cut in and walked quickly after him.

"The only person you owe an explanation to, would be Coach Greene," Gerard frowned at the boy and pushed him into his room, where a pair of shorts and polo shirt was laid out on his bed for him.

"All right, all right. I'll hurry up," Preston sighed tiredly. He shut the door as Gerard left the room and turned to his dresser. Sitting on the top was a picture frame. It held a photo of Preston and a beautiful woman sitting on a porch swing. Preston stared sadly at the lady in the picture.

"I miss you Mom," he whispered and looked up at the ceiling. "Life's too boring with you gone."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"So you're saying that Preston doesn't know about the Outlander situation at all?" Joe spoke into the intercom in the conference room. Cammie, Bex, Macey, Liz, Jonah, Grant, and Zach stood next to him.

"No," Samuel Winters admitted. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"You have to understand though, sir," Cammie put in. "It would be a lot easier on us if he knew about the Outlander attack. Then he wouldn't be scared or surprised or anything when we tried to kidnap him."

"I know," Mr. Winters sighed. "But I would have to wait for a while before I could tell him. He's kind of mad at me. Just a few minutes ago, he wanted to talk to me. But then your call came, so I had to leave. Naturally, Preston got a little upset, since I'm always too busy to talk to him. And after his mother's death," Mr. Winters paused and then continued sadly, "he's all I have left."

"That's all right," Joe replied quickly. "Just tell him the first chance you get."

"Got it," Mr. Winters said. "Be careful Joe."

"The same to you," Joe ended the call and looked up at the rest of the group.

"What do we do now?" Liz asked.

"Our best move is to be patient for a little while longer. Once Sam checks in again with the go signal, we can head on out," Joe explained.

The gang groaned in their minds. If there was one thing that spies were weak at, it was being patient.

* * *

><p><strong>Preston POV<strong>

"Preston, have you been practicing? Your backhand seemed a little weak today," Coach Greene asked Preston as they were cleaning up the tennis balls at the end of class.

"Uh yeah," Preston lied. "I was just feeling a bit down today."

"Yes, your shots proved that," Coach Greene sighed. He paused and then gave a questioning glance at Preston. "How have you been doing lately?"

"With what?" Preston chuckled humorlessly. "My mother's death? Or my father's lack of parenting skills?"

"I—I meant about your mother," Coach Greene said uncomfortably. "I can imagine what you must be going through after, you know."

"You can just say it," Preston said bitterly. "My mother's gone. She's dead."

Coach Greene gave a sorrowful glance at the boy. "I think you should talk with someone."

"With who?" Preston scowled. "My father? Because he seems to be a little more preoccupied with his work than with his family."

"What about Annie?" Coach Greene ignored the comment about Samuel Winters. "She'd be a nice person to talk to about something like this."

"Sure, whatever," Preston grumbled. He exited the tennis court with Coach Greene's worried eyes following him. Preston walked back to his room and sat down with a tired groan. He thought about Coach Greene's advice and decided to carry it out. He left his room in search of Annie, his bodyguard. She was a beautiful brunette with pale green eyes and an athletic build. Preston had known her forever and considered Annie as an elder sister, as she was in her early thirties.

"Gerard!" Preston called out to the butler, who was talking with the chef. "Have you seen Annie? I can't say that I've seen her since I woke up this morning..."

"She was out doing business for your father, but she should be back soon," Gerard replied.

"Great. Now my father's stealing Annie?" Preston grumbled to himself.

"Someone looking for me?" A voice rang out cheerfully from the front door. Annie appeared with a black briefcase in hand.

"Hey," Preston walked up to her. "Where were you?"

"Just doing some stuff for your dad."

"Secret government stuff?" Preston joked.

Annie smiled. "Something like that."

"Why don't you ever tell me about your jobs besides babysitting me?"

"It's classified information."

"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about...some things."

"Sure. Let's go to your room," Annie followed Preston up the stairs. Once they reached his room, she plopped herself down onto Preston's bed.

"So, what did you want to talk about, squirt?"

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><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie had never felt so bored before in her life. Every muscle in her body was itching to go out and start the mission. And it didn't help at all that Joe would leave every hour to get an update from Samuel Winters without inviting the rest of the gang.

"If we have to wait any longer, I'm going to scream," Bex groaned.

"Well, I'm sorry, but we only have just a little longer," Liz patted Bex sympathetically. Bex fell backward onto Cammie's bed, smashed one of Cammie's pillows on her face and let out a muffled scream.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and opened it. Zach stood at the entrance and grinned with a glint in his eyes. "Time to gear up!"

"Yes!" Bex threw the pillow aside and ran out the room. Liz hurriedly followed, but Cammie stayed behind with Zach.

"You have some _weird_ friends," Zach chuckled.

"Hey," Cammie faked annoyance and playfully smacked Zach on the arm.

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><p><strong>Preston POV<strong>

"Preston, I know that your father can be a bit...busy at times, but you have to understand—" Annie was cut off as a knock sounded on Preston's bedroom door.

The door opened and Gerard poked his head in. "Preston, your father wants you at his office." He looked at Annie. "You too, Annie."

"Both of us?" Preston asked. Gerard nodded and then disappeared.

Preston gave Annie a look and they left the mansion. A private car took them to Mr. Winter's office.

As they entered the building, Ms. Hartridge hurried them upstairs. "Your father says it's very urgent."

"What do you think this is about?" Annie whispered to Preston.

Preston thought about it, but then the truth suddenly dawned on him. The Outlanders. _He's probably going to tell us about the expected attack._

Ms. Hartridge ushered them into Mr. Winter's office and shut the door behind them. Mr. Winters was sitting at this desk with a solemn look on his face.

"Preston, Annie," he gestured to the chairs. "Please, sit."

Preston timidly took a seat. The tension in the room was super palpable, and Mr. Winter's face gave most of it away.

"Sir," Annie asked cautiously. "Is something wrong?"

Mr. Winters cleared his throat. "I have something to tell you," he paused. "Outlanders are expected to attack Washington in less than two hours."

"_What?_" Annie stood up from her seat. She stared in shock at Mr. Winters. "How can be sure about this?"

Mr. Winters sighed. "I received some intel a couple of days ago."

"Is your source reliable?" Annie scoffed.

"I have every reason to believe so," Mr. Winters grinned sheepishly. "I have been working with the Outlanders for quite some time now—"

"_What?!_" Now Annie was even more shocked.

Preston stayed quiet. A part of him was a bit surprised, but he had already kind of guessed that this would happen. The reason seemed logical. There wasn't really any other way his father would have known about the Outlander attack otherwise.

Annie turned to Preston and saw him sitting quietly. "How are you not surprised?!" She asked.

"I—" Preston looked back and forth between his father and Annie. Mr. Winters was also giving him a curious look.

"Wait," Annie said slowly. "Did you already know about this?!" she demanded.

"Uh..." Preston looked down at his feet. "Not exactly?"

"What do you mean?" Mr. Winters spoke up.

"Well, after I came out of your office the other day, I saw a bunch soldiers standing around the village. And I knew that the soldiers only stay outside when there's some kind of an emergency, so I put the pieces together and...yeah," Preston admitted.

"And you didn't bother to tell me?" Annie exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Preston said sarcastically. "I didn't think I was allowed to tell you _'classified information'_."

"Preston!" Annie said, exasperatedly.

"Guys," Mr. Winters stood up. "Stop arguing. It's not helping the situation. We need to find a way to tell the village about the attack."

Annie sighed and took a seat. "We should gather the villages into the town square. You can give a speech there, sir."

"We can be with you if you want," Preston suggested.

Mr. Winters agreed. "Then we'll have to start soon. You two, go ahead and tell Ms. Hartridge to gather up the villagers."

Annie nodded and beckoned Preston to follow her. They left the office silently. Mr. Winters sighed and massaged his temples before picking up the phone.

"Joe? Yeah, it's Sam. Are you guys ready? I just have to give the speech to the villagers and start the lockdown. And I told Preston about the Outlanders. He didn't seem surprised at all. Speaking of which, I have another person you need to rescue. Her name is Annie."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"Joe, we're all set to go!" Cammie called out. She stood with the rest of the Outlanders in the front room. Students were loading supplies into the freight elevators and then going down to load them into the planes.

"Yeah, coming," Joe appeared into the front room.

"What was taking you so long?" Cammie asked.

"I got another call from Sam," Joe replied. "They're pretty much all set to go, but we've got another pick-up assigned."

"Who?" Cammie asked.

"Some girl named Annie. Apparently she's Preston's bodyguard."

"Huh," Cammie frowned. _Why would Mr. Winters care so much about Preston's bodyguard?_ She didn't question it any further, because then Zach started to call for Cammie and Joe.

"Joe, Gallagher Girl! We need to go!" Zach yelled.

"Gallagher Girl?" Joe raised an eyebrow as he followed Cammie to the elevator.

"Don't ask," Cammie shook her head.

* * *

><p><strong>Preston POV<br>**

After the speech about the Outlanders, Preston could feel the nervousness the village was going through. They whole scenario seemed quite scary to them. Mr. Winters ordered a couple of droids and lied to the Circle, saying that one of the guards spotted an Outlander about 100 yards from Washington. The droids now zoomed around the village, waiting for the Outlanders. The village had been ordered to proceed into lockdown, and all the villagers were supposed to stay in their high-security protected cellars in their homes. Preston had also been escorted to his mansion, where he was hidden in a vault with his father and Annie. Gerard, the maids and other housekeepers were in a separate vault.

"I hope this works," Annie whispered.

"Joe Solomon is the best I've ever seen," Mr. Winters assured. "He won't screw this up."

"So all we have to do is let the Outlanders capture us?" Annie asked.

"Yes, that's all you have to do," Mr. Winters replied.

"Do we have to put up a fight?" Preston asked.

"Well, yes you do, because the Circle will most likely be watching. But don't knock out the Outlanders or anything. Just make it believable enough so that they think you don't want to go with them."

Preston nodded and leaned back against the wall. All of a sudden, the vault shook as if an earthquake was happening. Preston sat up, alarmed.

"They're here," Mr. Winters said. "That was fast."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie stood with Joe, Grant, and Bex as Zach attached a small bomb on the door of the vault. This device was created by Jonas himself and was designed to explode without making a sound. And, instead of just exploding with gunpowder, it was designed to heat up the metal on the door and slowly make the metal melt. The gang stepped back and watched the metal door slowly melt to their feet.

Behind the door was a small dark corridor. Grant shrugged and said, "Well that was easy." He walked up to the entrance and was about to put his foot through when Zach stopped him.

"Wait!" Zach pulled Grant back just in time. "Look, there are little burn marks on the floors." He pointed at the little scorched lines running horizontally across the carpet.

"Invisible lasers," Bex breathed. "Good one, Zach."

"We have to be careful," Joe warned. He slowly stepped through the corridor, making sure that he didn't move his leg across the invisible laser. The gang followed him and soon they all reached yet another door.

"Sam?" Joe pounded his fist on the door. "It's me, Joe!"

"Joe!" Mr. Winters sounded relieved.

"How do you open this door?" Joe asked.

"It opens when I say the password, under the command of my voice," Mr. Winters. "256-315."

The door hissed and slid into the wall, revealing a frazzled Mr. Winters, Preston, and a gorgeous woman standing in the vault.

_This must be Annie,_ Cammie thought. Her eyes raked over the woman's figure. She was tall with a muscular build.

"Joe, thank goodness you're here," Mr. Winters came forward and gave Joe a hug. The rest of the teens stood awkwardly while Annie smiled and put a protective hand on Preston's shoulder.

As Mr. Winters released Joe, Cammie noticed Joe staring at Annie. Not like in a _"Whoa, she's hot"_ kind of way, but an _"I've seen you before"_ kind of way.

"Is something wrong?" Cammie asked quietly.

"You must be Preston," Joe ignored Cammie and gestured to Preston. He turned to Annie. "And I'm guessing you're—"

"I'm Annie," Annie flipped her hair back over her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips.

"And who are these fine kids?" Mr. Winters nodded toward Cammie and her friends.

"Um, this is Cammie, Zach, Bex, and Grant." Joe pointed to each of them, respectively.

Cammie glanced at Preston and caught him staring at her. He smirked a little, but didn't avert his eyes. Cammie blushed and looked away, smiling.

Suddenly, explosions and gunfire rang out from outside the mansion, and the gang was brought back to reality again.

Zach cleared his throat. "Um, now that the formalities are out of the way, we have a rescue mission to carry out."

"Right," Mr. Winters nodded and stepped into the hallway. "Let me disable these invisible lasers first." He pressed his hand against the wall and a hidden scanner popped out.

Cammie rolled her eyes. _He couldn't have told us about the lasers before we got him out? _

After the screen read Mr. Winters's fingerprints, the gang proceeded into the mansion.

"Annie and I both have a gun," Mr. Winters told Joe. "How do you want to do this?"

"Bex and Grant will go first, covering us for any droids," Joe explained. "Preston and Annie will follow them. Annie—" he looked at the bodyguard. "It would be helpful if you also shot down some droids."

Annie nodded and Joe continued. "Then Zach and I will go, with you and Cammie following behind. Simple enough?"

Everyone nodded and Joe took his formation by the mansion entrance. "All right then. Get ready. On my count." He held his fingers in the air and counted. On 'three,' Bex kicked the door open and they spilled out of the mansion. The droids were busy at first, shooting at the other Outlanders, but their attention turned toward the gang. Bex, Grant, Annie, Zach and Joe immediately started firing at the droids, and they soon started to fall back. Cammie covered Mr. Winters and shot occasional shots at any droids. They soon reached the towns square, where most of the droids were. The gang hid behind different objects and tried to shoot the droids down. The plane in which the Outlanders arrived in was about 500 yards away. Cammie could see it clearly from where she was positioned.

Cammie hid with Mr. Winters behind a trash can. She noticed that Bex and Preston had a clear path to the plane. Sure enough, Joe signaled for Bex and Preston to leave. Bex took off towards the plane with Preston while Grant covered for them. Next, he and Annie followed them. Then it was Joe. Zach, Cammie and Mr. Winters were left.

Zach looked at Cammie and she nodded. He stood up and ran for the ship while firing at the droids. Cammie breathed a sigh of relief as Zach raced off, unharmed. _Now it's our turn. _She stood up and fired a couple shots. The droids stopped firing on Zach and started firing at her.

Cammie pushed Mr. Winters's ahead and shot at the droids. Suddenly, she heard a shout and her head snapped back to Mr. Winters just in time to see him fall to the ground, hand clutching his chest.

"No!" Cammie screamed. The whole thing seemed to go in slow motion. She raced forward and dropped next Mr. Winters's body. His eyes lolled from side to side and his forehead was beaded with sweat.

Cammie tentatively lifted his hands from his chest. She winced at the sight of blood. "It's going to be okay," she promised to the man. "Everything's gonna be alright. Can you stand up for me?" She kept telling him over and over again that he was going to be fine, but he never responded. Finally, Cammie saw Mr. Winters's mouth move as he mumbled something.

"Save Preston."

Cammie stared in shock at Mr. Winters's lifeless body. It suddenly occurred to her that the droids weren't firing anymore. She looked behind her and noticed that the droids had disappeared. They were gone. _What happened?_

"Hey!" Cammie shouted to a nearby Outlander. "Can you get this body to one of the transports?" She asked. The Outlander nodded and whistled for several other Outlanders. Cammie stood up and whispered, "I'm sorry," while fighting off tears. She ran towards the plane and tried to forget the image of Mr. Winters's white shirt with the bright red flower of blood blossoming in the center.

"Gallagher Girl! Where were you?" Zach called out. He noticed Cammie's wet eyes and ran forward. "What happened?"

"It's Mr. Winters," Cammie said tearfully. "I was distracted for a moment, and then I think one of the Circle droids shot him, and—" she buried her face in Zach's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," Zach hugged Cammie and smoothed her hair. "Shhh, it's alright."

Cammie nodded and walked onto the plane. The gang stood in the cabin, waiting worriedly. Joe and Grant stood by the cockpit while Preston, Bex, and Annie were seated.

Preston stood up at the sight of Cammie. "Where's my father?" he demanded.

Cammie shook her head sadly and came towards Preston. "I'm so sorry, I—"

"What?" Preston asked with confusion. He stared at Cammie as realizations slowly started to fill him. "Wait, you don't mean to say...he's _dead_?"

"I'm really sorry," Cammie said again, clarifying Preston's question.

"Oh my god," Annie said quietly and put her face in her hands.

"Who was it?" Preston said bitterly.

Cammie swallowed. "The Circle."

Preston frowned. "The Circle?"

"Yes. They must have figured out he was part of the Outlanders. I did everything could, Preston. I'm so, so, sorry," Cammie apologized again.

Preston nodded and bit his lip. As if he couldn't contain it in any longer, he burst out sobbing. "He's gone. He's really gone."

"Oh Preston," Cammie went towards him and gave him a hug. She sat Preston down and kept her arms around him as he wept on.

Bex comforted Annie and Joe and Grant stood silently. Zach stiffened at the sight of Cammie hugging Preston but refrained from going over and pulling her apart from him. Sighing, Joe walked into the cockpit with Grant. He lifted the plane off from the ground and flew towards Blackthorne.

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><p><strong>AN: How was it? Did it satisfy you enough for the long update? I used the same line from United We Spy, because I really liked that dialogue. **

**A moment of silence for Mr. Winters.**

**I felt kinda bad killing him off, especially for Preston, but I didn't have a story for him later in this fic. In the next chapter, Preston and Cammie will be bonding a little over Mr. Winters, making a certain someone jealous O.o. But don't worry, Zammie will prevail at the end!**

**And I have a feeling that a lot of you guys guessed who Annie really is ;) Don't worry, Joe will come to senses and figure out why Annie seems familiar in the next chapter. Also, I will be introduce Townsend soon, so be anticipated for that!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review! **

**Thanks for everything :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you soooo much for all the love you guys gave :) I appreciate having you there after every chapter, and you all mean a great deal to me. If this update took a while, I'm sorry; I was on vacation so I didn't get a chance to update for some days.**

**Guest: **Thank you for the heads up; I found the two mistakes and I fixed it. Hopefully it won't happen again in this chapter :) Thanks for everything.

**Anonymous: **Yeah, I felt really really bad for Preston. I actually purposely wrote the Outlanders' plan to seem perfect, because I wanted the Circle to be so terrifying that they can just ruin someone's plan even though there were no mistakes in it. And I'm really excited for you to find out who Annie is and for to read all the parts with jealous Zach.

**xXFangirling**** BookwormXx: **You're welcome for everything. I figured you would guess Annie's real identity. And we all know that jealous guys make them really attractive, so that's kinda why I put this in today's chapter.**  
><strong>

**Brooke:** Hahaa, nice :) Here's your update and thanks for reviewing!

**BooksLover2000:** Lol, spoke like a true Gallagher Girl :) I hope you like this chapter!

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot and settings for this story.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"Cam, we're here."

At first, Cammie thought that it was Zach who was telling her to wake up, but then she realized that Zach had never actually called her by her first name before. Cammie felt a bit annoyed at the thought, but opened her eyes and yawned.

"What?" She blinked and saw Liz standing in front of her with a sweet smile on her face. As Cammie's vision came into focus, the familiarity of the plane she was riding in suddenly brought all her memories from the previous hour flooding back into her brain. The rescue mission, the droids, Mr. Winter's body, Preston sobbing in Cammie's shoulder—_Wait a second._

"Where's Preston?" Cammie asked urgently, she looked around the plane, but only she and Liz were boarded in the cabin. "And where's everyone else?"

"They all got off," Liz held her hand out to Cammie. "They sent me to come wake you up. The plane landed about 15 minutes ago."

Cammie got up reluctantly and narrowed her eyes at Liz. "Why didn't Zach come wake me up?" She tried not to sound too annoyed.

"Um, Zach kinda just stormed off right when we landed," Liz answered. "Guess he's a little upset about Mr. Winters."

"Yeah, maybe," Cammie wasn't convinced. She followed Liz out into the hangar bay and entered the Blackthorne building. "What does Joe want us to do now?"

"Well, we're giving Annie and Preston two connected rooms. Joe is letting them get settled in for an hour while we get the chance to relax a little bit. After that, we'll have something to eat since it's been a long day."

"Okay," Cammie nodded and headed off to her room after bidding Liz goodbye. She walked down the hallways, which had a few students walking up and down it. As she walked on, though, she brushed past a boy and didn't even realize who it was before he called out to her.

"Cammie!" Preston grabbed Cammie's arm as she walked past him.

"Oh, hey," Cammie smiled at Preston. "I didn't see you after I woke up, and I got worried. How are you coping with...everything?"

"I'm doing okay," Preston smiled grimly. "After my mom, it's a bit easier."

"That's right, your mom is also..." Cammie couldn't finish the sentence.

"Well, so are both of your parents," Preston pointed out. "In a way, I guess we're both lost causes."

"Yeah," Cammie chuckled. "Hey, listen. If you need anything, anything at all, just come over, okay?" Cammie told Preston the directions to her room.

"Sure thing," Preston nodded. He placed his hand on Cammie's arm. "Thank you for everything that you've done so far. You were really brave, and I'm happy that you stayed with my dad until the end."

"Do you know what he said last?" Cammie asked suddenly.

"What? Um, no," Preston frowned.

"His last words were 'Save Preston.' And I promised I would do so," Cammie confessed.

Preston smiled again. "That's my dad, always on the lookout." He bit his lip while looking at the ground and shook his head. "I can't believe that I was ranting about his bad parenting skills just a few hours ago—and now he's dead—" Preston started to choke up and just he was about to start crying again, Cammie cut in.

"Preston, why don't you go to your room?" Cammie asked, placing a hand underneath his chin and tilting his face towards her. "You need some rest and something to eat. Annie's there too, so you should check up on her," Cammie said sympathetically.

Preston nodded, and took a step back. Then he suddenly embraced Cammie tightly. After letting go, he gave her one last smile and left the hallway. Cammie turned and continued walking back to her room. As she did so, she saw Zach, who was walking towards her with a dark expression on his face.

"Zach! I didn't see you—" Cammie stopped and smiled as he walked towards her. But instead of stopping, Zach kept walking and didn't acknowledge Cammie's presence whatsoever. Cammie stopped smiling and frowned at Zach's behavior. _What the hell?_

Cammie ran back over to Zach and pulled as his arm, spinning him towards her. "What was _that_ for?!" She demanded.

Zach just gave her a tired look and said, "Let me go," in an angry tone.

"No, I deserve an explanation at why you're acting like this," Cammie fired back in an equally angry tone.

"An explanation?! The explanation's obvious. You're mooning over Preston while he fawns back over you and apparently you don't seem to realize that I'm still your boyfriend!" Zach shouted.

"_Mooning_ over?" Cammie said in shock. "Is that what you call it? I was not _mooning_ over Preston! Why would even say that? I don't like him like that!"

"Well, he does," Zach said. "And it looks like you have no problem with two boys liking you."

"Oh my gosh," Cammie shook her head in realization. "You're jealous."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous? What's there to be jealous about you?" Zach spat out rapidly. Suddenly he realized what he had said and started to sputter back an apology. "I mean-"

Cammie was too fast for Zach, though. "_What_ did you just say?! I can't believe this! After everything that we've been through—" She said angrily.

"Wait! Gallagher Girl, I'm sorry," Zach cut in, wincing. "I didn't mean it, I just got a caught up in the moment, and—"

"Do you even have the decency to say my name at least once?" Cammie asked.

"Of course I do, Gal—I mean Cammie," Zach said sheepishly. "Come on, don't be like that."

"Don't be like _what_?" Cammie stared at Zach. "It's you who's changing, Zach. You've been growing apart from me over the past few weeks and I'm scared that I'm losing you."

"Oh please, you're not _losing _me," Zach came to her and caressed her cheek. "I love you Cammie."

Cammie's breath hitched. _Darn that perfect boy!_

"There, I said it," Zach declared. "And you're right. I_ am _jealous. I am jealous that you get to share a part of your heart with another boy and not me."

"I was only comforting him—" Cammie started.

"I know," Zach cut in. "But it still bugs me."_  
><em>

Cammie sighed. "You know, I'm glad that you're jealous," she went closer to him. "It means that you care about our relationship." She leaned in and kissed him. Zach circled his arms around Cammie and kissed her back. Once they came apart, Cammie whispered against his mouth, "Promise that we won't ever fight again?"

"Promise."

* * *

><p>The next morning Cammie quickly changed into her school uniform and walked to the cafeteria with Bex. It was Monday again, which meant school was starting in an hour. The past couple of days had left Cammie's memory of her daily routine at school a complete blank, so resuming her classes was an unusual feeling.<p>

As Bex and Cammie entered the room, Cammie saw Preston sitting quietly with Annie in the corner of the cafeteria. He saw Cammie, and his eyes lit up. Cammie noticed this, but continued chatting with Bex.

"Cammie, Bex!" Liz beckoned the girls over to the gang's usual table. Today, all three boys were present and Macey surprisingly decided to show up as well. She gave a small smile as Bex took a seat. Cammie earned a quick peck on the cheek from Zach, and joined the rest of the gang.

"Hey, guys," Cammie smiled. "What's up?"

"Oh, Macey was just drooling over the new kid," Grant nodded his head in Preston's direction.

"I was not!" Macey said indignantly. "I was just noticing the fact that he was sitting in that little corner over there, looking a bit lonely."

"Well, then why don't you _call him over_?" Jonas suggested in a sing-song voice. "I'm sure Annie won't mind."

"Ew! No!" Macey hissed.

Cammie laughed and glanced at Preston, who was gazing intently at Cammie. He stood up and walked over to the table. _Oh no..._

"Seriously Cam?! Why'd you make him come over here?" Macey glared at Cammie.

"I swear I just looked him—" Cammie tried to explain but was cut off by Preston.

"Hey, Cammie. Can I sit here?" Preston asked.

"Uh..." Cammie looked at Zach for permission. His mouth was pressed in a firm line, but he nodded slightly.

"Sure..." Cammie scooted over and Preston took a seat.

The gang sat awkwardly, looking at one another while Macey just slouched (something she never did, so it was a pretty big deal) in her wheelchair, scowling.

"Who's this?" Preston gestured towards Macey.

Cammie grinned at the irony and was about to introduce Macey, but she interrupted Cammie instead.

"I'm Macey," she smiled, her typical "I'm the mysterious Macey McHenry" smile and gave Cammie a pointed look.

"Nice to meet you," Preston smiled, showing all of his white teeth.

"Ahem," Grant cleared his throat. "I should probably get going. The first bell is going to ring in half an hour." He stood up from the table, and Jonas joined him. "Hey, Preston, we can take you to get your schedule."

"Oh sure," Preston stood up and followed them. "I'll see you later, Cammie."

"See you," Cammie smiled politely.

Once Preston was out of earshot, Zach let out a sigh of relief. "God, that guy is way too over-possessive."

"You're telling me," Macey's eyes shot daggers at Cammie and wheeled herself out of the room.

"Why is she mad at me?!" Cammie exclaimed.

"Maybe she thought you were stealing Preston or whatever," Bex rolled her eyes.

"But I thought she said that she doesn't even like him!" Cammie protested.

"Don't look at me," Bex shrugged.

"Ugh, whatever," Cammie groaned. "I'm gonna get something to eat before the bell rings."

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe entered the cafeteria and immediately searched for Preston. He wanted to make sure that the boy was comfortable after the accident. Joe owed it to Samuel.

Suddenly, a ring of laughter echoed in the middle of the cafeteria. Joe looked over and saw Preston taking a seat next to Cammie. Zach stiffened and Joe smirked. _That's Zach. Always on the lookout for Cammie. He's so passionate, yet he tries so hard not to show it, _he thought in his head.

"Hey," a voice called out on Joe's left. He turned and saw Annie sitting at a table, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Hey yourself," Joe sat down across from Annie. "How's everything going?"

"Good," Annie smiled. "Blackthorne's a nice place."

"I'm glad to hear it," Joe nodded. "If anything goes wrong, just let me know, okay? I know it's been hard adjusting, after what happened with Samuel."

"I will," Annie nodded and placed her coffee cup down on the table. "Listen, thank you so much for making Preston feel at home here. I get so worried about him all the time, and I couldn't have taken care of him without your help."

"You're welcome," Joe gave a polite nod. _She looks so familiar. Where have I seen her before?_ He studied Annie's features, trying to distinguish her from faces he'd seen in the past.

"What's wrong?" Annie frowned.

"Nothing, I—" Joe sighed. "You just look really familiar. Have I ever seen you before?"

"Um, no," Annie clarified. "This is definitely the first time I've met you."

"Did you ever travel outside of Washington?" Joe asked.

"I went on small pick-ups for Mr. Winters, but they weren't in other villages. They were mostly in the middle of a dessert or a forest," Annie replied.

"I see," Joe nodded. "And were you born and raised in Washington?"

"No, I uh... My life is a bit more complicated than that. I was actually adopted by a woman named Jillian Thompson. She found me lying in the middle of the street in another village with burn marks on my arms and legs. She took me to Washington, where she lived, and took care of me. That's where I met Mr. Winters and became Preston's bodyguard." Annie said.

"Oh wow, that's unexpected. Which village did Jillian find you in?" Joe asked.

"I don't know," Annie said truthfully. "She never said and I never asked."

"But you must remember," Joe looked at Annie. "I mean, you weren't a baby or anything."

"That's the thing," Annie explained. "When Jillian found me on the street, I didn't remember anything beforehand. It was like my memory had been wiped or something."

"What about your last name?" Joe asked.

"I didn't remember my name at the time. Jillian decided to call me Annie, and she also found me clutching this locket in my hand," Annie reached into her pocket and pulled out a long chain. Half of the locket was broken off.

"I carry it around with me where ever I go. It's something that gives me a piece of my past identity, so I don't feel like a nobody," Annie showed Joe the locket. "It's says _Cameron_ on it. I don't think that's my real name though." She paused and thought for a moment. "Wait, isn't Cammie's full name Cameron?"

"Wait, Cameron?!" Joe grabbed the locket and held it up to his face. He studied it and his eyes widened. "Follow me," he told Annie and ran out of the cafeteria.

"Where are we going?" Annie raced after him.

"To my office," Joe replied. He led her inside the study and went around to the back of his desk. Opening a drawer, he pulled out small, shiny object. It was the other piece from Annie's locket. Joe took Annie's locket and pressed it together with his piece. Sure enough the two pieces fit together perfectly.

"I don't believe it," Joe looked to Annie in awe. He stared at Annie's face once again and all the missing fragments from his brain started to fall into place.

"_Abby_. You're alive."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know! I know! I'm sorry! You guys are probably staring at the last few words with shock..._"How could she leave us at such a cliffhanger like that?"_**

**But not to worry! By the time you are reading this, Chapter 17 has already been posted. I decided to write Chapter 17 first before I published this chapter so you wouldn't get mad at me :) Apology accepted?**

**Anyways, don't forget to REVIEW even though you really want to read the next chapter! Tell me what you thought of this chapter! What did you think of the cliffhanger? What about Preston and Cammie's "relationship"? Will Zach keep getting jealous? Or will he accept Preston as a friend? And does Macey actually like Preston? What will happen to Abby? Read the next chapter to find out...**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey there ;). Looks like your secret love for this story has prevailed! Congratulations, you made it to the next chapter. You survived the few minutes it took to click the "Next" button and wait for the page to load. I hope you're not mad with me, but if you are, here's the next chapter for you. Enjoy!**

**P.S. This chapter has a really big "Angst Zach" moment in the end...but don't skip ahead.**

**P.P.S. If you reviewed Chapter 16 like I asked you to do, you'll get an extra special shout out in Chapter 18 :)**

**P.P.P.S. Sorry for the mix-up, I didn't realize that I had posted the same chapter twice. If you did end up reading the same chapter, go and read Chapter 16 at this time. It should have changed by now. That Chapter was supposed to have something else, and it will make more sense now. Sorry :(**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girl Series's characters, but I own the plot and settings.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie walked to her first period hurriedly after breakfast. The bell had already rung, and she had to race to class before she was marked late. On the way, she saw Preston holding a piece of paper in his hands, looking around the hallway in confusion.

"Need some help?" Cammie asked.

"Uh, yeah..." Preston said sheepishly. "Where's History of Espionage? My schedule says Room 14..."

"Down the hall, take a left, second door on your right," Cammie peered over Preston's shoulder at his schedule. "Hey, you have some classes with me. But they're after lunch."

"Oh cool," Preston smiled. "Guess I'll see you then." He gave her a hug and scurried off, leaving a pleasantly surprised Cammie standing in the middle of the hallway. _That was nice, but I should probably get to class before things get worse and Zach freaks out_—

"What the hell was that?" Zach demanded, walking up to Cammie. "Why did I just see Preston hugging you?"

"Relax, Zach," Cammie said casually. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"_Really_," Zach gave a superior look to Cammie.

"Yes! I'm serious! It's just Preston's way of thanking me. He needed to find his classes, so I helped him."

"Of course he did," Zach rolled his eyes. "If he gets his hands on you in any other way—"

"Zach!" Cammie cut in. "I'll be fine—I promise."

"I know, I know. I'm just saying," Zach brushed Cammie's hair away from her face. "I don't want anything to happen to you. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I do," Cammie grinned.

Zach leaned in, but the moment was interrupted by Mr. Mosckowitz, who was closing the door of his classroom.

"Kids, the bell has rung, so I suggest you continue your PDA sometime after class," Mr. Mosckowitz said impatiently.

Cammie and Zach jumped apart, embarrassed, not even realizing that the bell had rung. They ducked into the classroom and took their respective seats.

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe stared at Abby in utter shock. _How is this even possible? I thought the people at Gallagher found a body at the fire__…_

"Abby? Who's Abby?" Annie, or rather, Abby, looked at Joe with a confused expression.

"Okay," Joe exhaled and put his hands on Abby's shoulders. "Just sit down for a minute. You're going to want to hear this."

"All right…" Abby took a seat at the chairs in front of Joe's desk. "What happened?"

"Okay, so I don't know if you already know about this or not, but about 17 to 18 years ago, I was living in a village called Gallagher. My best friend Matt, had recently married a woman named Rachel Cameron," Joe explained.

Abby frowned at the Joe's statement and stared down at the locket in her hand, but allowed Joe to keep talking.

"Rachel had a younger sister, named Abigail Cameron. We called her Abby," Joe continued. "One day, in Gallagher, there was a freak accident. Abby was in this building for a almost the entire day. Suddenly, the building caught on fire, but no one knew why the fire started. Matt and I were out of town, so we weren't around when this happened. The men hurried to put the fire out. Sadly, nobody had realized that Abby was in the same building the entire time, until the fire was put out and they found her body."

"So you're saying…" Abby gave Joe a long look.

"_You're _Abby," Joe said. "You're _back_. Somehow."

"How did I even survive the fire?" Abby wondered out loud. "I mean, you said that the men found a body…"

"That's what I would like to know," Joe admitted. "And it does explain the burn marks on your arms and legs."

"I can't believe it," Annie looked down at her feet and chuckled softly.

"Me neither," Joe gave an appreciative glance.

Abby held the two pieces of the locket in her hands and whispered her new name. "_Abigail Cameron_." She looked up suddenly. "You said I had a sister, Rachel. Do you know where she is?"

"No," Joe said sadly. "I mean, it's not that I don't know where she is or anything, but…she was killed ten months after you supposedly 'died.'

"What?" Abby's gave Joe a concerning look. "What happened?"

"The Circle killed her. Like Mr. Winters," Joe informed Abby.

"Well then, we need to stop them from killing anyone else!" Abby exclaimed.

"I know," Joe nodded. "That's the Outlanders' main mission. To get rid of the Circle." Suddenly, Joe was reminded of Cammie and her relationship to Abby. "Wait, there's something else."

"What?" Abby joked. "Do I have a long lost twin brother or something?"

"No," Joe smiled. "I think you'll like the sound of this better." He paused and took a deep breath. "Cammie, she—she's your…niece."

"Really?" Abby leaned forward. "Rachel's daughter?"

Joe nodded. "I'm sure she'll be pleased to meet you."

Abby stood up from her chair so fast that it fell backward. "Well then I need to see her right now!"

"Wait!" Joe stood up as well and stopped Abby from leaving the office. "We should give Cammie some time. This is pretty big news, even for her. I'll call her over when she's out of school."

Abby nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." She picked up the overturned chair and sat back down. "This is so…unexpected." She shook her head in surprise. "But it feels great to have a family again."

Joe reached across the desk and took Abby's hand. "We were always your family. From the moment you walked into this building."

Abby gave a gracious smile. "Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

During 6th period, Cammie walked to the Madame Dabney's room with Bex and Liz on either side of her, talking and laughing away. She had Culture & Assimilation next. As she was talking with Bex and Liz, suddenly Cammie remembered that Preston was going to be in this class as well. _Okay, now I really have to make sure nothing happens with Preston and I that could potentially cause Zach to break Preston's back._

Cammie pushed the double oak doors open and walked into the classroom. She noticed that all the tables had been pushed to one side of the wall. _What's going on?_ she wondered.

"Do you know what we're doing in class today?" Liz whispered.

Cammie merely shrugged and moved from the doorway to let the other students in. Jonas timidly entered the room, followed by Grant and Zach. Tina and the other girls came in as well, chatting away happily. They became quiet though, as soon as the saw the format of the classroom. Preston hurriedly ran in last, and stopped to catch his breath. He spotted Cammie and waved. Cammie smiled but scooted a bit closer to Bex.

"Oh my gosh! I think we're dancing today!" Tina squealed and clapped her hands excitedly.

_Dancing?_ Cammie thought wearily. _Great..._

Madame Dabney swept through the doorway and sashayed into the center of the room. She was wearing an elegant ball gown, and her skirts ruffled with every step.

"Welcome, students," she beamed and the class. "As some of you may have already guessed, today we will be starting the dancing unit. It is a tradition at Blackthorne to hold a ball every year in the winter, and we must prepare the students for this."

"Ball?!" Cammie gaped at Bex. "Why didn't you tell me there was a ball before?!"

"Sorry," Bex smiled sympathetically. "It's not that bad, don't worry."

Cammie sighed and turned back to Madame Dabney.

"If I remember clearly, last year you students learned the foxtrot?" Madame Dabney asked. The crowd murmured 'yes.'

"Well then, this year we will be teaching you a new style of dance," Madame Dabney continued. "Ladies and gentlemen—the waltz." Madame Dabney curtsied and all of a sudden, a sweet, classical melody started playing. A man walked into the room, none other than Joe himself. He was dressed in a tuxedo.

The students immediately started laughing, and Joe gave an impish smile. Cammie couldn't help but feel a bit amused. She locked eyes with Zach and grinned.

Joe offered his hand to Madame Dabney and she took it. Together, they gave a basic instruction of the steps. It was quite easy, if you paid complete attention. There was the simple box step that all the other complicated steps revolved around.

The music faded away, and Madame Dabney and Joe stopped dancing.

"All right, then," Madame Dabney smiled at the students. "I know some of you really want to start showing off your moves," she said, clearly referring to Tina, who was wriggling about impatiently. "But first, I believe we have a new student?" The crowd of students parted in half, leaving Preston standing by himself in the middle of the group.

Cammie felt a bit sorry for Preston. She remembered the day she first joined Blackthorne and how conscious she felt when she was introduced in every single class.

"Ah, yes!" Madame Dabney came towards Preston and took him to the front of the crowd. "Preston Winters. What a wonderful young man."

Preston turned red and stared at the ground in embarrassment.

"Now, Preston," Madame Dabney explained. "Since you are the new student, I will let you go ahead and pick out your partner first."

Cammie's eyes widened and she purposely tried to avoid any contact with Preston.

"Um," Preston glanced around the room. "I honestly have no idea."

"Well then," Madame Dabney joined the search. "Who was our last new student?"

_Seriously?!_ Cammie couldn't help but think. _You have got to be kidding me..._

"Cameron was," Macey's spoke up from the back of the group. "She was new a couple of months ago." Her voice was filled with venom, and Cammie gave her a _What was that for?_ look as she tried to hide behind the crowd of students.

"Why of course!" Madame Dabney beckoned Cammie forward. "How could I forget? Joseph's own daughter! Cameron dear, where are you?"

Again, the group of students parted and left a pathway for Cammie to walk up to Madame Dabney. Cammie gave a mustering smile to Preston and cautiously looked over at Zach. His eyes were filled with pure hatred. If looks could kill, then Preston would have been long dead by now. Cammie tried not to worry about Zach's clenched fists at his sides, and focused on getting through the period.

"Everyone else, partner up and move to the center of the room. Can we have five rows of five pairs each please?" Madame Dabney called out.

Joe started to file up the partners into lines. Preston walked up to the end of one of the rows and faced Cammie. "You know I'm really glad I got paired with you," he admitted. "I didn't really want to dance with anyone else in the room."

"Really?" Cammie said. Out loud, it seemed like she was curious, but inside, she was weirded out.

Joe moved down the rows of students, and made his way towards Cammie. He walked up to her and pulled her aside.

"Meet me in my office after school," he told her urgently.

"Why?" Cammie asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Joe shook his head. "Just come." He pushed Cammie back over to Preston and left the classroom.

"What was that all about?" Preston asked.

"Nothing," Cammie smiled. She searched the crowd for any of her friends. Bex and Grant were dancing together, of course. Liz and Jonas were shyly standing next to each other, both of their faces red. Zach was standing next to a girl whose face Cammie couldn't see. The girl's back was facing Cammie and she was talking to someone else. Soon she turned around and Cammie gave a sound of surprise.

"Tina?!" She said out loud. _Who does she think she is?_

"Huh?" Preston whipped his head back to Cammie. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing, I—" Cammie sighed. It made her a little better to see Zach's expression. He looked ready to strangle someone at the moment. Tina leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Zach just gave her a tired smile and glanced over at Cammie. He gave a _'help me'_ look and Cammie smiled sympathetically.

"Okay, class!" Madame Dabney clapped her hands. "Gentlemen keep your position as the following: right hand on the ladies' waist and left hand raised at shoulder level. Ladies, have your left hand on the gentlemen's upper arm, or around both shoulders if you're comfortable. Clasp your right hand with the gentlemen's hand as well."

Cammie reluctantly slipped her hand with Preston but kept as much distance from him as physically possible. Just then Madame Dabney came over to Cammie and Preston and pushed them together.

"Don't be too uncomfortable now," she smiled and moved on.

Cammie bit her lip and tried to decrease the level of awkwardness. "So, how are you liking school so far?"

"It's nice here," Preston smiled. "The subjects are much more interesting than the school standards in Washington."

"You're probably right," Cammie nodded. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, accidentally stepping on Preston's toe.

"It's okay," Preston grinned. He spun Cammie around effortlessly.

"Oh!" Cammie chuckled. As she faced Preston again, she raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so good at this?"

"I used to take lessons at home," Preston explained. "We would have a lot of parties in Washington."

"I see," Cammie smiled. She stared at Preston for a minute and noticed how blue his eyes were. They were like a light, icy blue, and very attractive.

"I can show you some other stuff I know," Preston suggested.

"Sure," Cammie agreed.

Preston took Cammie's hand firmly and turned her underneath his arm. He also spun her halfway, and then brought her back. Cammie laughed, having a fun time.

"Preston! How fascinating!" Madame Dabney called out. The music stopped, and all the other students stopped dancing as well. "You were showing some advanced moves beforehand."

"Oh, it was just something I learned," Preston explained.

"No, it's okay! It is completely fine," Madame Dabney's eyes sparkled. "In fact, I wanted to ask you to come up here with Cameron and show the class some of your skills."

"Oh, no," Cammie and Preston started protesting. "Really, it's fine. We wouldn't want anyone else to feel rushed or anything—"

"No, I insist," Madame Dabney interrupted.

"Just do it, Cameron," Macey's voice called out from the side of the room, where she was sitting. Again her voice was filled with anger and jealousy.

Cammie gave Preston a look, but followed him to the front of the room. They got into position, and Cammie glanced hesitantly at Zach. He was looking away from the pair and his lips were pressed together tightly.

The music started, and Preston began leading Cammie. He performed some of the tricks he showed earlier as well as new ones. The crowd oohed and aahed, and Cammie tried her best not to step on Preston's foot or mess up during the time.

Slowly, Preston came closer and closer to Cammie until they were only about an inch away from each other. Then, suddenly, Preston changed his stance and dipped Cammie. Cammie fell against Preston's arm, surprised. She stayed in that position for a while, and stared up at Preston's blue eyes, momentarily forgetting about the green ones she usually looked at.

"Thank you so much!" Madame Dabney clapped her hands. The students enthusiastically joined in and started cheering. Preston and Cammie suddenly came back to reality and realized their performance was over. They walked back to their positions. Cammie peered at Zach and saw him giving Preston a murderous look. Cammie sighed and mouthed the words, "Stop worrying about Preston and I."

Zach, being a spy, read Cammie's lips and turned away. Cammie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. _How long is this going to go on for?_

* * *

><p>After a long period of Culture and Assimilation, Cammie hurried to CoveOps. Thankfully, Preston wasn't in that class so Cammie didn't need to worry about him. It was P&amp;E that she had with him, which was the last period of the day.<p>

Cammie walked with Zach to lighten his mood as they walked inside the gym. Ms. Hancock was placing sparring mats all around the room.

"Yes!" Bex pumped a fist in the air. "We're sparring today!"

"Great," Jonas groaned and Liz murmured a soft, "Oh dear."

"Thankfully, I can sit out," Macey muttered and wheeled herself to the side of the room.

"You and me?" Zach turned to Cammie and grinned.

"Sure," Cammie grinned back.

"Listen up class!" Ms. Hancock blew her whistle. "Take out your gym clothes and go change!" The students quickly walked over to the locker rooms to change. Cammie glanced behind her and saw Preston asking Ms. Hancock about something. She hid behind Bex and promised herself that she would be unseen by him this period to avoid any trouble. _It shouldn't be too hard,_ she thought. _I _am _the Chameleon, after all._

After changing, the students took off their shoes and placed them against the wall. They gathered around Ms. Hancock, waiting patiently.

"Is everyone out of the locker rooms?" She asked.

As if he was the answer to her question, Preston walked out of the locker room wearing his gym clothes. The shirt was a bit tight on him and his muscular frame was clearly visible. The gym uniforms simply were a grey T-shirt and navy sweats or shorts.

Cammie averted her eyes from Preston and focused on Ms. Hancock.

"All right," Ms. Hancock began. "Today we will be doing some sparring." Almost all of the students cheered except for Jonas and Liz, who clearly wished they could be in Computing or in Research and Development at the moment.

"But we will be doing this a bit differently," Ms. Hancock continued. "We will be having a tournament of some sort. You guys will rotate after every match and eventually, the winner will receive a surprise. If you win, rotate to the right. If you lose, rotate to the left."

Cammie processed what Ms. Hancock said and then nodded. _Easy,_ she thought.

"You can pick your partners for the first match," Ms. Hancock said. "Go get started."

Cammie made a beeline for Zach and found a mat for them to use. She stretched her arms out behind her back and stepped onto the mat.

Zach stood on the mat, grinning. "I'm so gonna win."

"We'll see about that," Cammie smiled sweetly and suddenly threw her left fist at Zach.

Zach barely had time to react and held Cammie's arm inches from his jaw. "All right then," he pointed out. "You wanna play dirty? I can play dirty." He pushed Cammie's fist back and held his fists in front of his face.

"Give me your best shot," Cammie smirked. She kicked with her left foot and Zach blocked it. Then Zach jumped and struck his left foot at Cammie. Cammie blocked his kick and spun and shot her foot at his torso. Zach stumbled back and swung a right hook. Cammie ducked, and came up underneath Zach. Zach whipped around in time to see Cammie punching her arm out. He blocked her hand and did a roundhouse kick. Cammie swung her body low and executed a reverse roundhouse kick. Zach ducked and punched with his right hand. Cammie blocked the punch and Zach threw a left hook. Cammie grabbed onto his left arm with her right hand and stuck her left hand on his left shoulder. She spun around and flipped Zach on the floor.

Zach stared up from the mat, looking stunned. "Wha—"

"That was easy," Cammie leaned over Zach's face. She held out her hand and helped Zach to his feet.

"Good job," Zach smiled. "But you realize that without any of my training sessions, you wouldn't have been able to beat me today."

"Keep talking son," Cammie patted him on the back and stepped off of the mat.

"Morgan! Goode!" Ms. Hancock barked. "Go ahead and rotate to the next available mat!"

Cammie nodded and said goodbye to Zach. She searched the gym and spotted an empty mat in the corner. She walked towards the mat and stepped on it, wondering where her new opponent was.

"Oh hey, Cammie!" a male voice called out from behind her. Cammie stopped suddenly and groaned. _Why am I always stuck with him?!_ She screamed mentally.

"Hi Preston," she turned and faked a smile.

"Who'd you verse the last round?" Preston asked.

"Um, Zach," Cammie said. "What about you?"

"Liz," Preston said a matter of factly.

"Ah," Cammie nodded. "It was probably easy, wasn't it?"

"Well, I don't want to make fun or anything," Preston admitted. "But yeah, it was fairly easy."

"So, should we get started then?" Cammie clapped her hands together.

"Sure," Preston stepped onto the mat. He took his stance and Cammie did the same. Cammie immediately came for Preston and did a reverse roundhouse kick. She spun on her heel while Preston ducked but he was too quick for her. He kicked her in the chest and Cammie stumbled back from the blow. Cammie threw her right fist out and Preston blocked it. He jutted out his right foot on Cammie's back and took her arm. He brought her arm around his shoulders and brought her to the ground. Cammie fell on her back, breathless, and stared up at Preston, who was leaning down towards her at a dangerously close level.

"Wow," Cammie chuckled. "You're good."

Preston grinned and stared into Cammie's eyes. Then he leaned in and captured Cammie's mouth. Cammie's eyes widened and immediately pulled away from him, momentarily stunned.

"_What the hell is going on?!_"

Suddenly, Zach was at Preston's back, clawing at his shirt. He yanked Preston away from Cammie and threw him to the ground. Cammie sat up and scrambled away. _What just happened?_ The entire thing went by like a blur.

All the students hurried over to see what the commotion was all about. They crowded around Preston and Zach, not leaving any space for Cammie to see what was going on.

Bex saw Cammie sitting on the ground, dumbfounded. She helped Cammie up and asked, "What happened?"

"I—" Cammie was at a loss for words. "It was so crazy. One moment I was fighting Preston, and then next thing I know, he kissing me, and then Zach comes and Preston goes flying in the air-"

"He kissed you?!" Bex stared at Cammie with her mouth open. "Is he bloody _mad_?!"

"I don't know," Cammie said worriedly. She heard a shout and turned to the crowd of students. Ms. Hancock was edging her way into the circle, blowing her whistle and shouting orders. She pulled Zach up from the floor. The crowd started to step away, and Cammie saw Preston lying on the floor, trying to get out of Zach's grasp. _Oh my god,_ Cammie thought.

Ms. Hancock pushed Zach to Grant and another student and they held onto him. Preston stood up, shaken and tried to explain what had happened to Ms. Hancock. Zach, meanwhile, was shouting at Preston and yelling insults.

"I need to get to Zach," Cammie rushed over, dismissing Bex's protests. She came in front of Zach, and tried to get his attention. "Zach. Zach, look at me!"

Zach sharply looked over with a wild look on his face. His expression softened for a bit but then turned back to the cold hard stone.

"Calm down. It's okay," Cammie placed her hands on Zach's arms and soothed hi

"No, it's not okay!" Zach yanked his arm out of Grant's and the student's grip. "He freaking kissed you! That a son of a—"

"Zach!" Cammie interjected. "Come on, let's go." She took Zach's arm and pulled him away. Cammie caught Ms. Hancock's gaze and the teacher nodded to her. They stepped outside and started walking down the hallway.

"Are you okay now?" Cammie asked after a while.

"No, Gallagher Girl. I'm not!" Zach said angrily. "Why did he kiss you? You're my girlfriend! Why would that little piece of sh*t even think of doing that?!"

"I don't know, Zach, okay? I don't know!" Cammie said exasperatedly. "How am _I_ supposed to know?"

"And you didn't even try to pull away—"

"What are you talking about? Why are you blaming _me_ now?! How is this _my_ fault?!" Cammie shouted outrageously. She stared at Zach in shock.

"I _told_ you. I _TOLD _you that he was sketchy!" Zach said.

"For God's sake, Zach. I get it!" Cammie was close to tears. "Why are you making it such a big deal?!"

"But no!" Zach continued on. "You just had to go and make friends with him. '_It's okay Zach, he's new, and his father just died. We need to make him comfortable.'_" He mocked Cammie's voice.

Cammie stared at Zach with a horrified expression on her face. "Why are you doing this?!" she asked, tears streaming down her face. "Why are you acting like this?! What happened to you?!"

Zach sighed, frustrated, and kicked the wall. "I can't deal with this right now. I need to be alone for a while."

Cammie stared after Zach's retreating figure down the hallway. She leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor, crying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Whew! That was some emotion right there. How'd do you guys' think of the side of Zach? The dark, angst, wild side? Let me know in your reviews. For some reason, this chapter was super fun and easy to write. I don't know, it was kinda weird, but I had all the words just flowing out of my mouth.**

**And yes! Blackthorne will be having a ball! I was really excited to reveal this to you guys, and you should be excited about the preperations and the events itself. There's so much more to come! And this chapter was super eventful. There was the**** the big Abby reveal, angst Zach, Joe in a tux, announcements for the ball, and we got some Zammie out of all of it too. But tell me what you guys thought of everything! If you have questions or comments, remember to REVIEW! I love reading your thoughts, so please tell me how this chapter went! I'll see you in Chapter 18 :) Bye!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back. I know it's been a while but I had a really busy schedule the past few weeks. It's been cleared up now, so hopefully I can start updating more regularly from now on. **

**Thanks to Lanoon, lovewords, GallagherCrazy, BooksLover2000, and Magic-of-writing for reviewing! I didn't really get a big response from posting two whole chapters for you guys. And that makes me sad :( So please remember to review :)**

**Lanoon: **Yes! I did! Thank you so much for this, I wouldn't have noticed otherwise :) I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**lovewords: ** Aww...your words are too kind. Thank you so much! I love my new reviewers! I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter; and I hope you like this one just as much. Hopefully I didn't make you wait too long, sorry about that :(

**GallagherCrazy:** Why thank you :) Hahaa, nice, you used your mad Gallagher Girl skills to figure out it was Abby :D.

**BooksLover2000:** Yasss! Thanks for reviewing!

**Magic-of-writing:** Yeah, I know how you feel...I was kinda disgusted with myself for writing that part. But don't worry, all will be better soon :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls Series, just the plot and setting(s).**

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><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie sat against the wall, staring straight forward, with a numb expression on her face. She sat there for quite a while and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and the hallway became filled with students. No one noticed Cammie because, one, she was sitting on the floor and everybody was too excited to meet their friends after school than to look on the floor. And two, she was the Chameleon, so nobody was supposed to notice her.

The crowd of students started to thin out and in a matter of minutes, it was only Cammie again in the empty hallway. She leaned her head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling. Having nothing better to do, she started counting the dots on the tiles.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps echoed on the walls. The steps got louder and louder, and Cammie realized someone was walking towards her. The person came into view and she sat up once she saw who it was.

"Cammie?" Joe stopped short once he saw her slumped up against the wall. "I was wondering where you went. You were supposed to come to my office—what happened?"

"Why was I supposed to—" Cammie groaned when the truth hit her. "Oh...right. I completely forgot to come. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Joe nodded. "But can you come now?"

"Um, sure," Cammie slowly got up and followed Joe down the hallway.

"What even happened to you?" Joe gave her a sidelong glance as they walked to Joe's office.

"Nothing," Cammie clarified.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked. "You're makeup's messed up, and it looks like you've been crying."

"That's—" Cammie hastily wiped her face on her sleeve. "That's nothing."

"Did someone hurt you?" Joe asked, clearly not buying it.

"No," Cammie shook her head. "I'm fine. Nothing happened."

"Well obviously _something_ happened," Joe said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be lying right now."

Cammie sighed. "It was Zach," she said. "We got into a big fight during 8th period. And now he's really pissed off."

"What happened?" Joe asked.

"Zach got jealous when he saw Preston and I dancing in Culture & Assimilation. I'm pretty sure you saw that," Cammie started. "And then in P&E, we were sparring, and I got paired up with Preston. Again."

"That doesn't sound too good," Joe gave a concerned look.

"It wasn't," Cammie shook her head. "Preston and I started sparring, and he flipped me to the ground. And then he kissed me."

"_What?!_" Joe asked. "Okay, this is why I don't trust boys being around you!"

"I'm sorry," Cammie said tiredly. "Anyways, Zach got crazy mad, obviously. I took him outside to talk, but instead it turned out into a really big, angry fight." She looked up at Joe. "I don't know what's happening to us. We keep getting angry at each other all the time—it's terrible."

"I'm really sorry, kiddo," Joe gave her a sideways hug.

"So what did you want to tell me?" Cammie asked once Joe released her.

"Come inside," Joe stopped in front of his office and opened the door.

Cammie walked through the doorway and saw Annie sitting in front of Joe's desk. Annie stood up once she saw Cammie.

"Um, hi," Cammie smiled. She turned to Joe. "What's this about?"

Joe cleared his throat. "Um, Cammie, Abb—I mean—Annie and I discovered some exciting news today. We found out that Annie was actually from Gallagher and is your mother's sister."

"What?" Cammie looked at Annie in complete shock. "Abby? But I thought she died—"

"That's what Joe thought as well," Annie stepped forward. "But it turns out that I managed to survive."

"And you made to Washington D.C.?" Cammie frowned.

"Yep," Annie nodded. "A woman named Jillian Thompson found me and took me in."

"That's crazy," Cammie started at Joe. She chuckled. "I can't believe—" Cammie choked on her words and beamed with her eyes starting to tear up.

"I know," Annie laughed and came towards Cammie, arms extended. She embraced Cammie and held her tight. "I'm so happy you're my niece."

"And I'm so happy you're my aunt," Cammie leaned back and smiled at Annie. "Now I finally have someone from my family with me."

Annie laughed and squeezed Cammie's hands. "Me too."

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><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

_Where is she?!_ Bex's mind raced as she sat on her bed. Liz was with her, pacing back and forth across the carpet. _Where did Cammie go?_

"Liz, stop," Bex said. "You're making me more nervous."

"Sorry," Liz apologized and sat down next to Bex. "Hopefully she's fine."

"Yeah, hopefully," Bex started biting her nails. Just then, someone knocked on Bex's door. She jumped up and ran to the door, flinging it open.

"Hey, Bex," Cammie smiled weakly from the doorstep.

"Cammie!" Bex pulled Cammie inside her room. "Where the bloody hell were you?"

"I was with Joe," Cammie confessed. "He had something important to tell me."

"How'd it go with Zach?" Bex asked cautiously.

Cammie's expression fell. "It didn't go that well."

"What happened?" Liz asked.

"We got into a fight," Cammie said. "We started arguing about...just about him being jealous."

"What did he say?" Bex asked.

"It was so weird. He got really crazy...I've never seen him act like this before. He started mocking me and he went on and on about how he had guessed right that Preston was a jerk, and I had been wrong and-— Cammie shook her head. "It was awful."

"I'm sorry, Cam," Liz rubbed Cammie's back.

"I'm sure he'll get over it," Bex assured Cammie. _Probably not, but I gotta make her feel better._

"I don't know," Cammie said truthfully. "I feel like this was it. Maybe he's gonna stay like this forever."

"Don't say that," Liz said kindly. "Hope for the best."

"Yeah," Bex nodded. "Well, let's forget about Zach now. What was it that Joe wanted to talk to you about?"

"Oh!" Cammie's face brightened. "You're never gonna guess what I found out today!"

"What?" Liz and Bex asked in unison.

"Annie is my aunt," Cammie replied with a grin.

"What?" Bex gave confused look. "What do you mean?"

"She's my mom's sister," Cammie asked. "In fact, her name isn't even Annie. It's Abby."

"How is that even possible?" Liz frowned.

"Well, Abby lived in Gallagher with my mom and her family. When Abby was around our age, she was burned in a house fire. For some unexplained reason, she survived and was found by a woman named Jillian Thompson. She took Abby to Washington, and everybody back in Gallagher thought she had died."

"That's quite a story," Bex raised her eyebrows. _And really coincidental._

"But that's not even the weirdest part," Cammie said. "The people in Gallagher thought Abby was dead because they found a _body_."

"Okay, that _is_ weird..." Liz said slowly.

"Nevertheless, we're happy for you Cam," Bex smiled. "We know that with your parents, and Josh, and Mr. Winters, it's been hard for you."

"Yeah," Cammie smiled back. "I'm really glad I have Abby now." The girls sat awkwardly in silence until Liz spoke up again.

"You know Cam," Liz said. "I can't stop thinking about what happened in class today, and I really think you should visit Preston...or even Macey...to see how they're doing."

"Liz's right," Bex put in. _Isn't she always? _"It would seem rude if you didn't."

Cammie sighed. "Do you know where they are?"

"I haven't seen them since P&E," Bex answered. "But we can check in their rooms."

"Okay," Cammie got up from Bex's bed and followed Liz and her into the hallway. They headed towards Macey's room first, since her room was the closest. Cammie knocked on the door quietly and waited. A small crash and several hushed whispers sounded from inside and Bex and Cammie shared a look.

"Coming!" Macey hollered. The door opened and Macey peered out. Her expression darkened when she saw Cammie. "Oh, it's you."

"Hey, Macey," Cammie smiled. "Can we come inside?"

"Why?" Macey narrowed her eyes.

"We just want to talk to you," Liz clarified.

"Um," Macey glanced over her shoulder. "Okay," she wheeled her wheelchair back to allow Cammie, Bex, and Liz to come inside.

"Is anyone else here?" Bex looked around the room.

"No, why?" Macey asked, clearing her throat.

"That's weird," Bex was about to sit down the bed, but she realized how messy it was. The covers were half on the floor, the bed sheet was crumpled, and one the pillows was lying on the floor as well. Bex looked at Macey and realized that her appearance looked a bit...disgruntled. Her lipstick was smeared, and her hair was disheveled. "I thought I heard something when we were waiting outside."

"Well, there was nothing here, so..." Macey said.

"Okay, then," Cammie spoke up. "We just wanted to talk to you about Preston."

Macey's eyes suddenly widened. "Can we not talk about Preston?" she pleaded.

Bex was taken aback. "Why, is something wrong?"

"No, it's just—" Macey leaned back against the closet door. Suddenly, the closet door moved outward. Macey quickly put out a hand to stop it. The whole thing was very fast, and a 'normal' person wouldn't have noticed it. But Bex, Cammie, and Liz weren't 'normal'.

"Macey..." Cammie asked. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Macey laughed nervously. "Just—keep talking. Where were we?"

"Um," Liz started. "We were talking about Preston?"

"Right," Cammie said, still unsure about Macey's behavior. "Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry that you thought I was stealing Preston from you or something. I never meant to hurt you or anything. Whatever happened today in class wasn't on purpose. It sort of just...happened."

"Oh. Um. Okay," Macey nodded. "Is that all?"

"No, uh, there's more," Cammie said. "Can we just go back to being good friends? I don't want to fight and be mad at each other just because of a boy. I mean, I never liked Preston to begin with, and I want you to know that—"

A sneeze sounded from the closet. Macey's eyes widened again and she looked over her shoulder.

Bex couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, what are you hiding Macey? Who's in your closet?" She stood up and came towards Macey.

"Nothing! I swear! I—" Macey stammered.

Bex just wheeled Macey out of the way and attempted to open the closet door.

"Wait!" Macey yelled and tried to stop Bex from opening the door. But Bex pulled it open and stared, dumbfounded at the interior.

"Hey," a blonde haired boy smiled sheepishly from the closet.

"Preston?!" Cammie stood up in surprise. "What are you doing in Macey's closet—"

"What's going on?" Bex demanded. She crossed her arms and looked back and forth at Macey and Preston.

"Uh..." Macey and Preston gave each other a look.

"Are you guys having a thing?" Bex asked. "Cuz Macey's lipstick is smeared and Preston has really red lips. Like he's the one wearing lipstick..."

"Wait a second, were you guys having s—"

"NO!" Macey and Preston shouted together.

"We weren't doing anything wrong. We were just..." Preston muttered.

"Making out?" Bex gave a pointed look. When Macey and Preston didn't say anything, she took it as a yes. "Preston, you literally kissed Cammie a couple of hours ago, and now you're making out with Macey?" _Pervert..._

"Well, I didn't mean to—She kissed me first, okay?" Preston protested. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Bex raised her eyebrows. "You shouldn't just be apologizing to Cammie. You have to apologize to Zach too. Because of you, their relationship is strained now."

"I know," Preston shook his head. He turned to Cammie, "I didn't know that you and Zach were dating. I mean, sure I saw him give me dirty looks from time to time, but I figured he just had a crush on you or something."

"Well, it's much more than that," Cammie said.

"Yeah, I realize that now," Preston nodded. "I'm sorry. I'll apologize to Zach and I won't bother you two again."

Cammie nodded but Bex wasn't convinced. And apparently neither was Liz.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Liz asked. "I mean, are you just gonna start dating Macey like nothing happened?"

Macey's cheeks flushed and she looked down at her hands.

"Actually," Preston looked down at Macey. "We both hope that dating is kinda what this," he gestured to himself and Macey, "is gonna turn out to be."

Macey looked up in surprise and smiled.

Preston sighed. "Anyways, I'm gonna go now. See you later girls. Bye Macey." He gave one last smile before leaving.

"Yeah, we should probably leave too," Bex said on behalf on Cammie and Liz.

"Oh, okay," Macey nodded. "Here, I'll walk you to the hallway." She wheeled after Bex, Cammie, and Liz.

"So you did end up liking Preston," Cammie said once they had reached the hallway. "Why'd you always deny it when we asked you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Macey scoffed. "I didn't want anyone knowing that a boy could actually get under Macey McHenry's skin," she admitted.

Bex just rolled her eyes. _Who else but Macey?_

"But with Preston, it's different. He's a nice and honest guy, and he didn't mean to ruin your relationship with Zach. I hope you realize that."

"He'll be good for you," Cammie nodded.

The girls said goodbye to Macey and left her room.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Cammie asked.

"I don't know," Liz shrugged. "Anyth—" She was interrupted by the lights suddenly shutting off. The hallway was engulfed in darkness. At first, Bex wasn't worried. The whole situation seemed like a power outage.

_But wait...Blackthorne doesn't get power outages..._Bex thought.

Then the emergency lights turned on and illuminated the hallway. The alarm sounded and a voice blared through the speakers.

"CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK," the voice chanted. The students in the hallways shouted at each other frantically.

"Bex!" Macey wheeled out of her room from behind the girls. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Bex shouted over the chaos. "Get the students to safety! Liz go with her. Cam and I will find Joe."

Macey nodded and Liz ran off after her. Bex and Cammie turned the other way and raced down the corridor.

"Is the Circle here again?" Cammie asked Bex as they ran.

"Maybe!" Bex shouted as the excited chatter of the students got louder. "But this Code Black's a different one!"

"What do you mean?" Cammie said loudly. They dodged students and hurried towards Joe's office. The hallways were quieter so the girls were able to talk normally.

"Do you ever remember the lights going out during the last Code Black?" Bex asked.

Cammie thought about it and realized what Bex was saying. "Now that you think about it, I don't. What do the lights mean?"

"Well, the last Code Black was a security breach," Bex explained. "The threat was outside Blackthorne's perimeters. That's why there was no need to shut the lights off."

"Okay," Cammie nodded.

"But since the lights are out in today's Code Black," Bex looked at Cammie. "That means the threat's inside Blackthorne."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

_The threat's inside Blackthorne. This is more serious than I thought._

The girls reached Joe's office, and Cammie threw the door open. They barged in...only to find the office empty.

"Damn it," Bex turned to Cammie. "Do you know where he might be?"

"He didn't say anything when I last saw him," Cammie said. "He should be here."

"Come on," Bex pulled Cammie out of the room. "Let's check the gym."

The girls ran on again, directing the students to the gym as well.

"Cammie!" a voice called out from behind the girls. Cammie turned and saw Joe running towards them, Grant tailing behind.

"Joe," Cammie breathed in relief. "What's going on?"

"Someone's inside Blackthorne. An intruder," Grant supplied.

"Do you have eyes on him? Or her?" Bex asked worriedly.

"Jonas is working on it, but so far, we have nothing," Joe said hurriedly. "He's been dodging the security cameras perfectly. Whoever it is, they know the layout of Blackthorne. A figure was last seen at the main entrance, next to the freight elevator."

"Then he could be anywhere by now," Bex said.

"I know. That's why we have to act fast. I already told Zach my orders; he's waiting at the gym, and I need you three on the plan as well," Joe told Grant, Bex, and Cammie. "You three and Zach are gonna come with me to the main entrance to meet our mystery guy. Macey, Liz, and the other elite team members are rounding up the students in the bunker underneath the gym. Jonas and a couple of guys are working the security feed. I have them on comms. We're on Channel 2."

Bex, Grant, and Cammie, reached into their pockets and fished out their comms. Switching to Channel 2, they were just in time to hear Jonas speaking.

"Guys! I just got something. Our mystery guy is a male and he's in the east entrance, Sublevel 2, near the CoveOps room for sophomores. He's found the security camera next to the whiteboard. He's standing in front of the camera, staring into it weirdly."

"Can you identify who he is?" Joe asked.

"No, he's wearing a dark hoodie. All I can see are his eyes, and they're deep blue."

"What the hell? How'd he even get into Sublevel 2?" Bex asked. "He needs a security pass."

"I dunno," Jonas replied. "But you have to get there fast before he escapes—Oh wait!"

"What?" Cammie asked frantically.

"He's saying something. Wait—shh..." Jonas shushed the group. "Oh my god, Joe you need to get there now!"

"What is it?" Joe started running towards the cafeteria to get Zach. Grant, Bex, and Cammie hurriedly followed.

"He's asking for you, Joe," Jonas said. "He wants to see you."

* * *

><p>The gang stopped at the gym and Grant went inside for Zach. Once he found Zach, the boys came running out and everyone started hurrying to the elevator. On the way, never at one point did Zach glance or speak to Cammie, and she felt disappointed. Zach didn't seem upset or anything, it just looked like he was concentrated on the mission and nothing else. <em>Just like you should be,<em> Cammie chided herself.

While running, Grant filled Zach in on everything and told him to take out his comms. The gang reached the elevator and filled in their identification orally.

"Good luck guys," Jonas's voice crackled through the comms.

The elevator made its way to Sublevel 2. The gang stocked their guns with bullets and passed around extra rounds. Slowly, the elevator started to stop.

"Zach, Grant, and I will leave first to check if everything's clear. Once we give the signal, Cammie and Bex can come out," Joe instructed.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The boys left the elevator, guns aimed.

"Clear!" Joe called out.

"Clear," Grant replied.

"Clear," Zach gave the last signal.

Bex and Cammie exited the elevator and followed the boys to where Jonas had said. They neared the classroom and gathered around the door. Joe placed his hand on the handle and gave the 'on my count' signal. In one motion, he opened the door and the gang entered the room.

"Freeze!" Joe shouted and cocked his gun. The gang followed his lead and trained their guns on him.

The mystery guy stood with his back to the door, facing the whiteboard.

"Sir, please turn and face us. Put your hands in the air and get down on your knees," Joe said calmly. The mystery guy slowly turned around. He lifted his hands, but instead of surrendering, he reached up and lifted his hood away from his face.

"It's me, Joe," the man spoke.

Joe lowered his gun in disbelief. "Edward?"

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><p><strong>AN: Dun dun dun! There's another little cliffhanger for ya! I really hope you like this chapter, and hopefully you guys will write more reviews :) Please! I really love reading them.**

**If you can guess who our mystery guy is (it's really obvious, and I already mentioned who it was going to be), you'll get a special shout-out. ****And don't worry, Cammie and Zach will figure everything out between their relationship soon. The next few chapters are going to be filled with some more action, plus we have that fancy winter ball coming up XD.**

**Have a nice day!**

**Don't forget to REVIEW! Your thoughts are so important to me!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey guys...I know, it's been a while. I'm really sorry for the wait :( I had a major writer's block and I wanted to make sure this chapter was really good for all of you. I hope you're not _too_ mad :(**

**Moving on...**

**Omg, thank you so much for the all the love guys :) It made me so happy to read your amazing words. Don't worry; I wasn't mad at anyone for not reviewing last time. I realize now that even though I may not have as many reviewers as I wish I had, I still have all these incredible people who still read ****_Chameleon_****. So I'm sorry for ranting last chapter and for if you felt annoyed or anything like that. You guys gave a huge amount of support, and that's the only thing I'm focusing on now. **

**If you want to skip the review response/shoutout section, just scroll down to the beginning of the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Thanks to Leila54352, GallagherGirls13BYE, kaitgirl, Evelyn, lovewords, greeneyedsmirker, and Sparkles250711 for reviewing. Not all of them write stories, but the ones who do are wonderful writers, so go check them out :)<strong>

**Oh, and Liela54352, GallagherGirls13BYE, kaitgirl, Sparkles250711, and Magic-of-writing were able to guess who 'Edward' was so kudos to them :)**

**Liela54352:** Everything's fine now, don't worry :) There's actually a really important reason why Edward's here, and you'll be able to find out in this chapter. (Good job on guessing who Edward was.) And yes; Zammie will be fixed soon. I feel like I've tortured everyone enough with their continuous fights :p

**GallagherGirls13BYE: **Colleen! You're back! Yay! I missed you :) Hopefully the suspense wasn't too bad. Sorry if the wait was long. Points for guessing who "Edward" was :)

**kaitgirl: **You know, now that I think about it...I can actually imagine that happening. It would have been an interesting turn of events if Josh did come to Blackthorne. But yeah, I'm also glad it was Townsend!

**Evelyn: **This made me smile, I'm happy I have readers as incredible as you are. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Hopefully you'll like this chapter just as much! Thank you once again :)

**lovewords: **Once again, your review is super kind and amazing :) Thank you for your support; I really appreciate it. Don't worry, Zach and Cammie will pull through. I really think that underneath all the amazing looks and smirks, Zach's personality is a little dark, like his mother. He's very vulnerable, which I was trying to show in this fanfic. Here's you're update! Thank you soooo much for your review :)

**greeneyedsmirker: **Thank you :) Here's your update!

**Sparkles250711: **Thank you thank you thank you thank you SO much! You're really amazing. Honestly, it would be surreal for this story to be published, but I would love to see it happen :) And the only reason I write is to entertain incredible fans like you XD. So yeah, thanks for all your wonderful thoughts! I hope you like this chapter :) Oh, and nice job; you guessed who Edward was :p

**Magic-of-writing:** Oh my :) Well, Townsend's back and he means business! Hope you like this chapter :)

**And thanks to therocky8696, Sparkles250711, and carpentert31 for following/favoriting me and/or this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls series. (Just thought I'd let you know for, like, the 100th time.)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

**Cammie POV**

Cammie slowly lowered her gun, along with Bex, Grant, and Zach. _Edward? Who's Edward?_ Cammie thought. She caught Bex's eyes and the girl had an equally confused expression on her face. Cammie turned back to Edward and studied his appearance. He was tall, with wavy black hair and a handsome face. Cammie felt like she had met Edward before. Like in Gallagher or something, when Cammie was really young.

"What are you doing here, Townsend?" Joe asked coldly.

_Townsend...that must be his last name,_ Cammie thought.

Joe reached up, turned off his comms, and signaled the others to do the same. Cammie wondered what was so special about Townsend that the Blackthorne officials were not allowed to hear the conversation.

"I just wanted...to talk," Townsend said. "There's some important stuff I have to tell you." He seemed to have an accent that sounded a lot like Bex's.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" Joe asked. "Last thing I remember, you joined the Circle."

Cammie's thoughts swirled. _He was part of the Circle? Then he must know Catherine... _Cammie immediately glanced at Zach, who was on her left. He looked suspiciously at Townsend, but other than that, his face didn't show any other emotion.

"I realize that," Townsend nodded. "But you, of all people, know that I would never support the Circle. I only joined them to be a double agent. For the Outlanders."

"I don't have a recollection of you telling me that you were leaving to become a double agent," Joe replied.

"Come on, Joe," Townsend was getting impatient. "You know the reason why I'm here."

"No, actually, I don't," Joe answered. He lifted up his gun again and trained it on Townsend.

"I'm here to warn you," Townsend said. "Catherine. She's coming after Cammie. You wouldn't want anything happening to Cammie, now would you Joe?"

Cammie's eyebrows furrowed. This Townsend guy knew who she was._ Have I ever met him before?_

"Yeah, we figured that part out alread-"

"But you don't know Catherine's plan," Townsend interrupted. "I do, and I'm here to help you. It's imperative that Catherine does not get her hands on Cammie."

_What's so bad about Catherine coming after me?_ Cammie thought. _I mean, not that I want to get kidnapped or anything, but still..._

Joe's muscles remained tense. Then, finally, he lowered his gun and relaxed his shoulders. "You can talk all you want when we interrogate you. But we're keeping you locked up."

"Fine by me," Townsend shrugged.

Joe reached up to his comms and turned it on. "Jonas, we have a Code 83. Requesting officers on Sublevel 2. Sophmore CoveOps."

"You got it," Jonas's voice crackled through the comms. A minute later, several Blackthorne officers came into the room. They cuffed Townsend and led him out, with Joe following. Cammie walked over to Bex to discuss what had just happened.

"Do you know him?" Bex nodded her head in Townsend's direction.

"I don't," Cammie shook her head. "But he seems sorta familiar. I feel like he was a friend of my dad's or something."

"Joe said he was working the Circle, Cam," Bex reminded her. "How would you've known him?"

"I don't know," Cammie stared at Townsend's retreating figure. "Let me ask Liz and see what we find." She called Liz on her comms and asked her to find more information about Townsend.

"Um," Liz quickly searched up all the information she could on the Blackthorne database. "He used to be a teacher here..."

"Really?" Bex asked. "Which subject?"

Liz was quiet for a few seconds. "Covert Operations."

Bex and Cammie gave each other a surprised look. "How long was he teaching here?"

"A little more than 13 years. It looks like he left right about the time you were brought in, Bex."

"Which explains why I don't remember him," Bex surmised. "Joe mentioned him being in the Circle. Do you have anything about that?"

"All it says that he went to the Circle after the 13 years he was here," Liz replied. "But it doesn't say anything els- Oh! Wait!"

"What?" Cammie asked.

"He was from Gallagher, too."

"That's why I remember him," Cammie's eyes brightened. "So I guess he did know my parents..."

"If he knew your parents," Bex pointed out. "Then he probably knew Abby as well."

"You're right," Cammie nodded slowly. "I should go talk to her. Come on." She left the room with Bex and made her way to the elevator. The elevator doors were closing, and Bex and Cammie ran to catch it. They reached the entrance just in time and the doors jumped open again. Cammie and Bex hurriedly entered without bothering to look at who was inside the elevator.

"Oh," Bex said. She cleared her throat awkwardly. Cammie looked over and swallowed hard when she who was standing next to Bex.

Zach shifted uncomfortably and averted Bex and Cammie's stare.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone," Bex said. She quickly exited the elevator, despite Cammie's protests. "I'll just wait for the next ride."

"No, Bex!" Cammie hissed and clawed at Bex's shirt. She missed as Bex left and so she groaned in her mind. _Great..._

"Officer Zachary Goode," Zach called out to access the elevator buttons.

"Officer Cameron Morgan," Cammie repeated. _Could this get any more awkward?_

"Please place your finger on the scanner," the computer's voice spoke out. Zach went ahead first and scanned his fingerprints, with Cammie following. The whole process was silent.

"Welcome Officer Zachary Goode and Officer Cameron Morgan," the computer's voice said. The hidden buttons appeared and Zach pressed _Main Level._

The elevator started to climb up and Cammie stood up straight. She cleared her throat once and gave Zach a short glance. His eyes were straight forward, not blinking whatsoever.

"So," Cammie said. "What did you think of Edward Townsend?"

"Not much," Zach replied. He didn't say anything after that, and Cammie became frustrated.

"Look, Zach," she started. "I don't want us to be fighting all the time. Can we make amends and start over?"

"I—" Zach was about to speak up when the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. "I don't know," he turned to Cammie.

"What do you mean?" Cammie frowned.

"It's just that—" Zach stumbled with his words. "Gallagher Girl, you saw how I acted today. I went crazy. Completely ballistic. And I _am_ sorry for that."

"It's all right. You were mad and you lost your cool; I forgive you," Cammie reasoned. "You know, we all make mistakes-"

"No, you don't understand," Zach interrupted. "I can't stop this. My behavior. It's something I can't control." He stared at Cammie pleadingly. "It's not a personality of mine. It's from my _mother_. There's a part of me of her in my mind. And it makes me do psychotic things. Psychotic things that could _hurt_ you."

Cammie inhaled sharply. It wasn't every day Zach spoke about his mother so casually.

"You should see it yourself by now. I'm not good for you. I'm not healthy for this relationship."

"You don't get to say that," Cammie was shaking her head. "We'll help you, Zach. We have some of the brightest minds under this roof. They can help you get better. And if they can't," she took a deep breath. "Then I will."

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe walked ahead of Townsend and turned onto the staff floor. He ordered the guards to take Townsend into the interrogation room and went inside his office. Once there, he called Professor Smith, Patricia, and Abby to meet in the interrogation room.

As Joe hurried over to the interrogation room, he couldn't help but wonder why Townsend was here in Blackthorne. _It's obvious he needs something in return,_ Joe thought to himself. _He wouldn't want anything otherwise. _

Joe recalled back to the years when Townsend was an Outlander. He was good friends with Matt and Rachel, and after they died, he became one of Joe's most trusted men. Townsend used to live in Gallagher, and was very fond of Catherine. In fact, he dated Catherine for about 10 months, but then she started to slip away from humanity, turning to her science experiments instead of focusing on Townsend and her family, and Townsend broke up with her.

_Maybe that's why he left,_ Joe thought. _He missed Catherine._

But the real question still remained. _Why was he back?_ For all Joe knew, he could just be lying about the whole "I know what Catherine wants" and have come to Blackthorne as a spy.

_I guess we'll find the answer soon enough,_ Joe thought grimly. He entered the office next to the actual interrogation room and saw Professor Smith, Patricia, and Abby.

"What is it?" Abby asked, coming forward. "Who are we dealing with?"

"Edward Townsend," Joe declared, slapping Townsend's file down on the table. "Previously an Outlander, but now a part of the Circle. And, for some reason," Joe paused. "The guy's here again."

"Edward? He's back? Why?" Patricia asked.

"That's what we're gonna find out," Joe looked around.

"Did this guy have some history here?" Abby asked.

"A little," Professor Smith answered. "He was a good spy. Never fell out of line."

"I wasn't sure if you remembered, Abby," Joe continued. "But, uh...he used to live in Gallagher. With us."

"He did?" Abby turned to Townsend through the one way window. "Did I know him well?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you did," Joe said. "You admired him. Looked up to him."

Abby nodded and bit her lip. "Was I...you know..._attracted_ to him?"

"No, you weren't," Joe smiled. "But you two had a good relationship. Which is why I want you to be interrogating him. Professor Smith, Patricia, and I will be there to guide you through this comms unit." He handed her the device.

"But doesn't he think I'm dead?" Abby asked. "How am I supposed to explain that?"

"You can make up a lie if you want," Joe said. "He doesn't need to know the truth."

"And what do I ask him about?" Abby clarified.

"Why he left the Outlanders, what he learned from the Circle, and what Catherine wants with Cammie," Joe replied. "In Sublevel 2, he told me that he knew how Catherine was going to kidnap Cammie."

Abby sighed, and gazed out at Townsend. He sat at the table, staring straight ahead with an amused smile.

"Whenever you're ready," Joe patted Abby on the back and handed her Townsend's file.

* * *

><p><strong>Abby POV<strong>

Abby cleared her throat as she entered the room, keeping careful eyes on Townsend.

"So," she said, placing his file on the table. "Edward Townsend. Welcome back."

Townsend raised his eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

"I'm surprised you don't remember," Abby chuckled and took a seat across from him. When Townsend didn't respond, she continued on. "I mean, Joe didn't recognize me at first either, but he was able to figure it out pretty quick. Let's see how well you do."

Townsend still gave Abby a confused look, but didn't say anything.

"Okay," Abby leafed through his file. "So you were previously an Outlander. And then you left us and joined the Circle. Why?"

"I was tired of sitting around, doing nothing to stop Catherine," Townsend replied. "So I took the matter into my own hands."

"You thought that you could take down the Circle by _yourself_?" Abby scoffed.

"_No_," Townsend said. "I wanted to join them and learn their motives. Use them to the Outlander's advantage."

"And now you know these 'motives'?" Abby asked. "Have you come back to share them with us?"

"Yes," Townsend nodded. "I'm telling you, I never fully joined the Circle. My loyalties lie completely with the Outlanders."

"So then why didn't you tell Joe about your mission?" Abby pointed out. "We could have provided support and protection for you."

"Joe would have never even agreed to my mission in the first place," Townsend claimed. "And I get things done faster alone."

"Uh-huh," Abby nodded. She stacked Townsend's papers neatly together. "Now, when you were in Sublevel 2, you said you had something to say about Catherine wanting Cammie. What was it?"

"How do you know about that?" Townsend narrowed his eyes. "Joe and the kids were the only ones listening."

"Joe told me," Abby said like it was no big deal. "Just now, before I came here."

"Which means you're pretty important here in Blackthorne," Townsend mused. "You probably have a high rank. But I know you're new."

"How so?" Abby raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have the same...aura...as the others in Blackthorne," Townsend said. "You have a different language, more casual and open. Yet you try to act tough."

Abby shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "How about we focus on the—"

"And I'd say that this whole Circle topic is pretty sensitive to you," Townsend continued as if Abby hadn't spoken at all. "You're acting very cautious and conservative. Like you don't want to know the real truth."

"I'd say the same thing about—"

"If you're feeling sensitive, then that means that you're either really close to Catherine or Cammie," Townsend leaned forward. "And since I know Catherine, and I know for a fact you're not involved in her life...I'd go out on a limb and say you're close to Cammie."

Abby stared at Townsend with cold eyes. "If you're done now," she said sternly. "I'd like to keep going."

"Are you in a relationship with Joe?" Townsend suddenly asked.

"What? No!" Abby said, flustered. Her cheeks turned pink. "Of course not."

"Ah, but you're blushing," Townsend pointed a finger at Abby's face. "Which means you like him."

"Of course I like him," Abby said. _I can't believe Joe is listening to this right now._ "Just not in _that_ way."

"_Abby, he's trying to distract you,_" Joe's voice came in through Abby's comms. "_He's avoided the interrogation. You have to get him back on topic._"

"I'm trying!" Abby said exasperatedly.

"Is that Joe you're talking to?" Townsend asked. "Tell him I say hi."

"Okay, let's come back to the questioning," Abby ordered. "There's still a lot of-"

"But I want to find out who you are," Townsend asked. "It's fun putting the clues together. Now tell me, were you born in Gallagher? Or did you grow up in another village? Because you look pretty young compared to someone like Joe. Or I, for that matter."

"_All right, that's it,_" Joe said in Abby's comm. He opened the door to the interrogation room and walked in. Giving a dark look to Townsend, he gestured for Abby to stand up from her chair.

"Joe, how nice to see you again," Townsend smiled. "I was just talking to this...pretty lady right here. Mind telling me her name? I feel like it's a bit rude that I'm having a good conversation with her, but I don't even know who she is."

Abby blushed and looked at Joe, who didn't reply.

"What's your name?" Townsend looked directly at Abby this time.

"I—" Abby started, but was cut off by Joe.

"Okay, let's go," Joe walked over to Townsend and hauled him to his feet. "We're gonna take you somewhere else, because, obviously, this interrogation isn't going anywhere."

As Townsend was dragged to the door, Abby followed. "It's now or never," Townsend told Abby.

"I'm Abigail Cameron," she said confidently as Townsend and Joe exited the interrogation room. She stopped following Joe at the door and watched him pull Townsend along the hallway.

The look on Townsend's face was enough for Abby, though. His eyes opened wide and he stared at Abby with a shocked expression. "Abby? Ab—Abby, you're alive? What happened? How?" he said and started pulling against Joe and the other guard's grip. "Wait! Abby! I need to talk—" His voice was cut out as Joe turned him around a corner.

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe couldn't help but feel frustrated at Townsend. His daughter's life was at stake and this guy thought he could waste time by acting all cocky and arrogant?

"Take this man to Cell 17," Joe ordered. "And keep his mouth shut." As the security guards led Townsend into a separate holding cell, Joe called for Patricia and Professor Smith.

"What do we do now?" Patricia asked once she and Professor Smith reached Joe.

"I'm thinking putting him under Dr. Fibbs's truth serum," Joe replied. "Dr. Fibbs is the best. I can guarantee myself that his drug will work."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Professor Smith said. "Are you going to ask him about Catherine and Cammie?"

Joe nodded as Patricia spoke up. "In that case, you should ask Cameron to come and watch the test."

"No," Joe shook his head. "Absolutely not. I don't want her to know about this."

"Joe, think about it," Patricia argued. "Cameron needs to know what's coming her way. She can't be kept in the dark forever."

"It's my responsibility to protect her—"

"She's almost an adult, Joe," Patricia interrupted. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but she can take care of herself."

"You've been protecting Cammie her entire life," Professor Smith agreed. "And you've done a really good job, but," he paused. "I think it's time you let her out into the real world."

Joe looked both of them in the eye. "Fine," he said numbly. "Just go get her."

"Do you want us to call anyone else?" Patricia asked.

"Call Abby, too," Joe walked away. "And Zach as well."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"Okay, so when you do get...mad at something, what emotions go through you?" Cammie asked. She sat cross legged on the gym floor wearing sweats and a tank top. Her hair was tied up and she faced Zach, who was also sitting cross legged in front of her.

"I can't really explain it," Zach replied. "Anger, pain...um...and mostly..." He faded away with the thought.

"What?" Cammie reached out and placed her hand on him comfortingly. "What do you feel?"

"I don't know, it's like..." Zach seemed to struggle with finding the right words. "Like this...deranged, crazy, psychotic feeling," he looked up a Cammie. "I just feel like I'm going insane."

"You're not," Cammie grasped his hand and smiled. Inside though, she was freaking out. _Okay, then. My boyfriend's starting to feel like a psychopath. That's totally normal._

"I'm scaring you, aren't I?" Zach gave Cammie a sad look. "Maybe we should stop-"

"No," Cammie interjected. "It's okay. I need to be here for you." Zach nodded and they continued on.

"All right, what makes you at peace?" Cammie asked. "Or what do you think about that makes you feel calm and happy?"

Zach smiled and his cheeks turned pink. "You," he replied.

Cammie blushed furiously and looked away. "What about me?" she managed to say, with a light chuckle.

"I'm being dead serious," Zach said. He reached out and took Cammie's cheek in his hand. "Your hair," he said, moving his hand to tuck a lock behind her ear. "And your eyes."

"Okay," Cammie nodded. She had been holding her breath this entire time. "So maybe when you're feeling angry at someone, you can focus on me. Or my hair or eyes. Think about the color, size, shape. Anything descriptive."

"I've tried that," Zach shook his head. "And it's never worked."

"Well maybe you just really need to concentrate," Cammie suggested. "How about we-"

"Cameron?" Professor Buckingham walked into the room with Professor Smith. "Zachary?"

"Yeah?" Cammie stood up and Zach did the same. "What is it?"

"We need you two to come with us," Professor Buckingham smiled and walked out of the gym with Professor Smith. Cammie and Zach looked at each other and followed them.

"Where are we going?" Cammie inquired as they hurried along the hallway.

"Joe asked for your presence," Professor Smith said.

"What for?" Zach asked.

"You'll see," Professor Smith answered grimly as they reached the holding cell. Cammie, Zach, and the two teachers entered the room. Townsend was sitting on the floor against the stone wall, facing the newcomers.

Cammie stopped walking once she saw Townsend. "What's going on?" she asked, turning to Professor Buckingham and Professor Smith. She felt Zach come up beside her and turned to look at him. He was staring at Townsend with a similar expression.

"Hello, there Cammie," Townsend smiled from his cell. He looked over and nodded his head to Zach, too. "Zach. I'm sure you two have questions."

"Joe will be here soon, and he'll explain everything," Professor Buckingham assured the two teens, ignoring Townsend. Sure enough, the door opened and Joe walked in followed by Dr. Fibbs. Cammie gulped once she saw what Dr. Fibbs was holding. A deadly-looking syringe was placed in his hands. Dr. Fibbs walked into the cell, and Townsend sat up once he noticed the needle.

"Dr. Fibbs," Townsend said in alarm. "What are you doing?" He hurriedly got to his feet and backed away from the scientist.

"Hello, Edward," Dr. Fibbs said calmly. "I'm just here to give you some of my truth serum."

"Nothing to harm me, I hope?" Townsend asked, eyeing the needle worriedly.

"Nope," Dr. Fibbs informed. "All you'll feel is a little pinch."

"Hold him," Joe ordered two of the security guards. The guards went inside the cell and held Townsend's arms behind his back to restrain him. He struggled against the security guards' grip, but Dr. Fibbs was able to insert the liquid into Townsend's veins.

The toxin seemed to take effect immediately. Townsend slumped down to the floor again, but remained conscious. Cammie watched as Townsend's cheeks went pale. She glanced at Zach and saw that he seemed a bit nauseous as well.

"Keep in mind that once the subject wakes up," Dr. Fibbs supplied. "He may not remember his surroundings or what happened in the last few minutes. You'll have to remind him of that. And ask other personal but relevant questions, just to make sure he isn't suffering on amnesia or anything." With that, Dr. Fibbs turned on his heel and left.

"W—why did you put him under truth serum?" Zach managed to ask.

Joe sighed and faced the teens. "We wanted to ask him about what Catherine wants with Cammie."

Cammie took in a sharp breath and her eyes flew to Townsend. All of a sudden, she wanted to run over to Townsend and force all of Catherine's secrets to come spilling out of his mouth. Her impending thoughts were interrupted with Zach's question.

"Are you sure you want me here?" Zach looked back and forth between Joe and Cammie. "I mean, after today's episode with Preston and all, maybe I should just stay away from any Catherine related subjects."

"No," Cammie placed her hand on Zach's arm. "I think you should stay. You need to know about this as much as I do. She's you're mother, Zach." Taking a deep breath, she added, "Plus, if you feel like you're losing it, try focusing on the things we talked about today in the gym."

Zach nodded and turned back to Townsend. The man was looking around, as if he was confused with his location.

"Edward?" Joe asked. "Can you hear me?"

Townsend's gaze jerked back over to Joe's voice. "Joe?" he called out faintly.

"Edward," Joe replied. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I think so," Townsend looked down at his body. "Where am I?"

"You're in a holding cell in Blackthorne," Joe answered. "You remember Blackthorne, right?"

"Yes," a hint of recognition slipped into Townsend's eyes. "I am an Outlander."

"Right," Joe nodded. "Now, do you remember who the Circle is?"

Townsend's expression suddenly turned dark. "Yes," he said in a low growl. "I remember them very well."

"Do you remember being with them?" Joe asked. "Tell me what your life was like there."

"It was fairly comfortable," Townsend responded. "Life was pretty similar to the life here at Blackthorne, except for the fact we had a crazy woman leading us."

Zach coughed as soon as Townsend mentioned his mother.

"Every day, I would have to take a test under a lie detector," Townsend continued. "The Circle would ask me questions about my loyalties with the Circle. I passed the test every day, easily. All I had to make sure I did was keep my heart rate steady while answering and not show any signs of nervousness, fear, uncertainty, or discomfort."

_Wow,_ Cammie thought. _They really know how to act tough..._

"Catherine was obviously pleased that I had returned to her," Townsend said. "She would call me to her office sometimes to talk. Ask how everybody was doing at Blackthorne. Sometimes, she would ask personal questions and I would lie about the answer. I never gave out any information about Cammie, Gallagher, the Outlanders, or any information about Blackthorne."

"Okay," Joe nodded. "Did she ever tell you what her big plan was?"

"Yes," Townsend answered. "After a while Catherine started to trust me a lot more than before. She would tell me little secrets; drop hints about her true intentions. One day, I decided to ask her point-blank what she wanted to do with her power. She told me that her mission was to wipe out all the Outlanders, and rule the rest of the non-Circle humans."

"What do I have to do with that?" Cammie frowned. Townsend continued talking as if Cammie hadn't said a thing.

"There are many other Circle members who live in villages, and who haven't communicated with Catherine yet. Catherine intends on finding each member out there and using them to create a 'Circle army.' She'll turn all of them into super soldiers, using the same formula she used on herself. However, she doesn't know where to find these Circle members. But there's one person that does," Townsend faced Cammie. "That's you, Cammie."

"Me?" Cammie pointed to herself, unsure if she had heard Townsend correctly. She looked around and saw that all eyes were on her.

"You know all the names of the Circle members?" Joe advanced on her. "Where did you see the list?"

"I—I have no idea what he's talking about," Cammie assured everyone in the room. "I swear, I don't know anything about the Circle members' names."

"You do," Townsend spoke up from his cell. "You may not remember, but you do. Your dad was the one who showed you the list when you were a child. Before he died."

"I was three years old when my dad died!" Cammie protested. "How am I supposed to remember something from fourteen years ago?"

"Catherine has a way to access all your memories from your entire childhood," Townsend said. "Once she captures you, she'll use her method to recover the list and find the Circle members. Cammie's memory is the final piece to her plan."

"How does she have a way to access Cammie's memories?" Zach wondered. "Technology like that hasn't advanced that far yet."

"Catherine has discovered new uses of technology that we haven't cared to discover yet," Townsend answered. "She is _much more_ advanced in her research than the Outlanders."

"What are we going to do?" Cammie looked around. "We have to stop her. Otherwise everyone I know will be killed."

"We know," Zach came towards Cammie and held her close. "I won't let her come near you. I promise."

"We'll find a way," Joe nodded. "If she thinks she can get away with something like this, she's wrong."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Whew...this took forever to write. Sorry if the ending was kinda bad. But on the other hand, you guys got to find out what Catherine's evil-mastermind-plan was! Tell me what you thought of this chapter! I'm gonna be wrapping up this story soon, so tell me if you want a certain scene to happen between two characters or something, and I can include it in the next few chapters.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading :) Be sure to review if you liked the Zammie, Abby & Townsend interrogation, and Catherine's scheme! I promise I'll start updating a bit more regularly from now on.**

**And for everyone who celebrates it, Happy Thanksgiving :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey...I know some of you are a bit mad. It's been a while. And I'm so sorry for not updating sooner; I promise this chapter will be fun to read...hopefully...I had a lot happen over the past two weeks, and it slowly, finally, went away so I'm back now. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait. **

**Thanks to the following people for reviewing:**

**Sparkles250711:** Aww, thanks so much! I appreciate your thoughts :) Hope you like this chapter.

**kaitgirl:** That's a good question! Hahaa, I would have to say Abby and Townsend. I understand at some points in the story it was kinda uncertain who exactly I shipped, but for me, it's definitely Abby/Townsend. Therefore, I also ship Rachel/Solomon. Which one do you prefer?

**Guest: **Yes! I updated! Sorry for the wait. I'll try to do better. Thanks for reviewing!

**GallagherGirls13BYE:** Hahaa, yeah, Towsend's got sass XD. Anyways, Congratulations on your play :) I was in a production this year too, but it was over the summer. Which one did you perform in? And yes, lol, I celebrate Thanksgiving :D. Thanks so much for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter.

**GallagherCrazy:** Thank you so much :) I'm glad you're enjoying the Zammie and the story in general. Here's your update :)

**BoricuaBookworm:** I updated right after reading this XD. Hopefully you'll like this chapter. Thanks for your entertaining review :) Sorry for the wait.

**BooksLover2000:** Yeah, it's from Gallagher Girls :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Magic-of-writing:** :) :) :) Well, all I can say is that Zach might (maybe, just maybe) kinda find out about Townsend being his dad...But if anyone asks, I didn't say anything :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and several other names in this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"So what's our first step?" Cammie asked, walking alongside Joe. After the interrogation, Townsend was left in his cell and Professor Buckingham, Professor Smith, Abby, and Zach went back to their rooms. Cammie decided to stay with Joe to figure out what to do about the list of Circle members.

"Well, our first step is making sure that you're well protected," Joe replied. "Now that we know what Catherine's after, we have to make sure that she doesn't get her hands on you."

"That's it?" Cammie stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. Joe stopped too, and looked back at her. "We're just gonna stand by idly, doing nothing to prevent Catherine from getting rid of all of us?"

"Cammie," Joe reasoned. "At the moment, there's not really much we can do."

"Can't we try to figure out the names of that list or something?" Cammie suggested.

"I thought you said you don't remember—"

"I know, but maybe Dr. Fibbs can figure out a way to access my memories, like Catherine," Cammie said.

Joe sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "All right, I'll talk to him and see what he can do." He turned and was about to walk away when Cammie caught onto his sleeve.

"And there's one more thing," she added on. "It's about Zach."

"What?" Joe faced Cammie again with a concerned look.

"I talked to him about his emotions getting the better of him, and he told me that there have been times when he's felt...mentally unstable." Cammie said quietly. "I think he needs to see someone."

"Like a therapist?" Joe raised his eyebrows. "I don't think Zach is feeling sick—"

"No, Joe, you don't understand," Cammie interrupted. "He says that he feels like a part of his mother is inside him."

Joe nodded slowly. "Okay. I can ask Professor Buckingham. She's good at handling this kind of stuff."

"Thank you," Cammie smiled and walked away, heading back to her apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>Liz POV<strong>

"Jonas, hey," Liz walked into Mr. Mosckowitz's classroom. He was sitting at one of the desks, typing away at his computer. Mr. Mosckowitz was in another corner of the room, helping a student on their homework.

"Hi," Jonas stood up from his chair. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Liz smiled. "We just finished clearing out the students in the bunkers not too long ago. How did everything go with you?"

"It was actually really cool," Jonas grinned. "Being able to be a part of the mission and all. Guess who the intruder was? His name's—"

"Edward Townsend, yeah, I know," Liz interrupted, grinning as well.

"How?" Jonas frowned. "You weren't there when we found him."

"I have my ways," Liz smiled slyly.

"I'm not gonna ask," Jonas shook his head. He sat down once again and continued working on his laptop. Liz laughed and came up behind Jonas.

"What are you working on?"

"Just a little programming," Jonas said. "I'm working on a really sweet graphics software."

"Cool," Liz peered down at the screen. "Anyways, I just wanted to pop by and see how you were doing. I'm gonna head over to Dr. Fibbs' room now."

"I'd would love to come with you," Jonas looked up from his laptop. "But I have to finish this project before the day ends. I'm really sorry."

"Oh, it's okay," Liz smiled and said goodbye to him and Mr. Mosckowitz. She left the room, making her way to Dr. Fibbs.

As she neared the classroom, Liz could hear voices coming from inside. She pushed the door open, only to find Joe and Dr. Fibbs having a heated discussion.

"How can that possibly be the case—" Dr. Fibbs looked up as Liz entered. "Oh. Hello Liz."

"Hi," Liz said, looking back and forth between Joe and Dr. Fibbs. "Did I interrupt anything? Or..."

"No," Joe came towards her. "Actually, I'm glad you're here. I was just explaining something I heard from Edward Townsend a little while ago. Oh and Townsend's the guy who intruded—"

"I know who he is," Liz held up a hand to stop Joe. "What were you saying?"

Joe continued on. "Right, um, well, Townsend gave us intel that Catherine has come up with a piece of technology to access every memory and image from a person's mind."

"What?" Liz's eyes grew wide. "Even if the person doesn't necessarily remember the memory themselves?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Joe nodded grimly.

"How did she even come up with a way to do that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Joe said truthfully. "But I was hoping that Dr. Fibbs here," he gestured to the scientist. "And possibly you could figure out a way to get the same technology up and running."

"And I'm telling you, Joe, there's no significant way to do that!" Dr. Fibbs protested. "The science behind that kind of technology will take years of research and experimenting! I'm sorry to say it, but it's impossible to finish within a couple of days—"

"Nothing is impossible," Joe scolded the doctor. "I need this to be done. For the sake of every Outlander living under this roof."

"I hate to ask this," Liz said quietly. "But what does this piece of technology have to do to anything?"

"It has to do with Cammie," Joe answered. He took a breath and then explained everything that Townsend told him.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Meanwhile, Zach was sitting in his room, doing some light reading. The events of the Code Black and Townsend's interrogation replayed over and over in his head. He couldn't help but admire Cammie's surprising calmness, given the circumstances. She had a deranged woman who was intent on kidnapping her and taking over the world. And in the midst of all this, she was taking time to make sure that Zach was receiving help on learning how to control his emotions and such.

"Zachary?" A soft knock sounded on his door, pulling Zach out of his thoughts and into his room again. He got up and walked over to the door, flinging it open.

Professor Buckingham stood at his doorway, smiling sweetly at the boy. "Hello. Is this a good time?"

"Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you, is all," Patricia replied.

"Sure," Zach stepped aside to let the woman in. "What's this about?"

"Well," Professor Buckingham said, looking around the room. She seemed to be taking mental notes on everything inside. Zach grimaced as he saw how filthy his room was. There were clothes strewn across the room, the trash can was overflowing with garbage, and his laptop was sitting on desk with papers spread all across the table.

"It's about your mental health." Professor Buckingham turned around and faced Zach.

Zach frowned and gave Professor Buckingham a look. "Did Cammie send you?"

"Joe told me to check up on you, and I presume that Cameron was the one to inform him," Professor Buckingham replied. "Anyways, I'd like to get started as soon as possible."

"Wait, so you're like a therapist?" Zach looked Professor Buckingham up and down.

"Something of the sort," Professor Buckingham gave her signature genteel smile. "Would you be willing to start now?"

"Um," Zach looked around, and sighed. "Yeah, but it's kinda messy in here..."

"No problem," Professor Buckingham cut in. "I can take you to my office."

"Okay," Zach grabbed his jacket and hesitantly followed Professor Buckingham out the door. While walking, Professor Buckingham asked Zach how frequently and in which situations his emotions would go out of hand.

"Most of the time, it has to do with my mother," Zach replied as they reached Professor Buckingham's office. "The rage kind of builds up and soon I'm not able to hold it in any longer."

"I see," Professor Buckingham scanned her fingerprints to unlock the door and led Zach inside. "Do you ever get nightmares, Zachary?" She inquired suddenly.

Zach paused and managed to utter a small "Yes." He took a seat on the couch in front of Professor Buckingham's desk.

Professor Buckingham sat down as well, and leaned forward. "What are they usually about?"

Zach looked down at his lap. "About Cammie," he said softly. "I dream that Catherine comes to Blackthorne and captures her and I..." he took a shaky breath, "and I don't do anything to stop her. I'm just standing here, in Blackthorne, watching Catherine leaving with Cammie. And as they go, Catherine looks back and mouths _Thank You_."

Professor Buckingham merely nodded and wrote down what Zach said into a notebook.

Zach groaned in frustration and leaned back in his seat. "It's just that...I'm really scared for her. About my mother coming for her and—" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"What for?" Professor Buckingham frowned. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"You don't know my mother," Zach shook his head. "She doesn't stop until she gets what she wants." He glanced up at her. "And she always gets what she wants."

"We won't let that happen," Professor Buckingham said reassuringly. "We all want Cameron to be safe, Zachary."

"I know," Zach said. "But I just can't help thinking...if Cammie was ever captured, what the Circle would do to her." His voice broke at the last few words and he put his head in his hands.

"Oh Zachary," Professor Buckingham came over next to the boy and rubbed his back. "Cameron's gonna be okay. Nobody's going to harm her. I promise." When Zach didn't respond, she smiled. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"I do," Zach murmured. He lifted his head up again and smiled wearily. "I can't imagine how...boring...my life was before I met her. And I definitely can't bear the thought of losing her now."

"I think I know what your diagnosis is now," Patricia concluded. "You're so afraid of anything bad happening to Cameron, that you immediately fixate on anything that you believe will harm her, even if it is something very little."

"What?" Zach raised his eyebrows. "How does that even work?"

"Let me give you an example," she continued. "When Preston arrived here in Blackthorne, you immediately labeled him as a threat to Cameron. Whenever she was with him, you became so worried about something bad happening to her, that you started to hate him, eventually to the point where your mind thought that the only way to make Cameron safe again was to get rid of him."

"So you're saying that if I hadn't calmed down after that episode in the gym the other day," Zach clarified. "I would have killed Preston?"

"I don't know that for sure," Professor Buckingham said. "But I do believe you would have done something extreme."

Zach stared at her with a pale face. "How do I get rid of it?"

"I don't think it will go away that easily," Professor Buckingham shook her head. "You need to convince yourself that Cameron is not in danger every single minute. To do that, you should stay with her as frequently as possible, especially when she's with other people. Come to me every week starting from now, so I can keep track of your progression."

"Okay," Zach nodded and stood up. "Thank you so much Professor."

"No problem," she smiled. "Just remember, Zachary. Cameron will be okay. She doesn't always need your protection."

Zach nodded numbly and walked out of her office.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Several weeks had passed since the incident with Preston and Zach, and Cammie was beginning to feel less stressed about the whole situation. Zach had been taking therapy sessions with Patricia weekly, and they seemed to be doing him good. The majority of the time at school was spent preparing for the Winter Ball, which was only days away. Cammie found herself practicing the steps to the waltz absentmindedly, and couldn't help but grin at her anticipation for the event.

One morning, Cammie's sleep was interrupted by a loud knocking on her door. She groaned and turned over under her covers to peer at her clock on her nightstand.

_It's 5:13 in the morning,_ she thought tiredly. Nobody_ in their right mind wakes up at five in the morning... _

Grumbling, she got off her bed and walked slowly out of her bedroom. "Who is it?" she called out while yawning.

"Cam open the door!" Liz's frantic voice rang out.

"Coming," Cammie rubbed her eyes and opened the door. "Hey, what's up?" She yawned again.

"You need to come with me, now!" Liz grabbed Cammie's arm and yanked her down the hallway.

"Whoa, wait!" Cammie managed to shut the door as Liz ran on, dragging Cammie along. "Liz, what's going on?!" Cammie was wide awake now. "Where are you taking me?"

"There's no time to explain!" Liz said hurriedly. "Everything will make sense soon, I promise."

_What's that supposed to mean?_ Cammie thought in confusion. As they wound through the corridors, Cammie soon began to realize where they were heading. Just as suspected, the girls came to a halt in front of Dr. Fibbs's office.

Liz, still holding on to Cammie, hurried inside and called out, "I got her."

Cammie looked around the room with a questioning look. All the desks and chairs were pushed aside, except for one chair in the middle of the room, hooked up to a machine. Dr. Fibbs was hurriedly adjusting things on the machine, and he didn't bother looking up as Liz and Cammie entered.

"Liz, strap her in," the doctor said absentmindedly. "I still have to make a few alterations just to ensure everyone's safety."

_Ensure everyone's safety?_ Cammie frowned. _What is he talking about?_

Liz did as she was told and led Cammie over to the chair. "Go ahead and sit down, I can pull the straps over you."

"Wait," Cammie jerked her arm from Liz's grip. "You haven't even told me what's going on!"

"Right," Liz stopped and suddenly seemed to realize what was happening. "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away..." She looked up to Cammie. "Dr. Fibbs and I finally were able to make the machine that can help access you memories."

Cammie looked over at the machine. "This is it? You guys figured it out?! I don't believe it..." she trailed off and turned to Liz. "Does Joe know about this?"

"They should be coming any minute now," Liz replied. As if to prove her point, the door burst open, and Joe came rushing in, followed by Zach.

"We came as soon as you contacted me," Joe said breathlessly. He looked and Zach hastily said, "He was with me when you gave the call."

"That doesn't matter," Zach came over to Cammie and held her in his hands. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Cammie nodded and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

Zach nodded. "Be careful."

Joe glanced over at the machine and grinned. "See, I knew you guys could do it."

Liz beamed as Dr. Fibbs came up next to Cammie. "Are you ready to get started?"

"Yeah," Cammie nodded and sat down in the chair. Liz strapped her in and attached a few tubes to her arms. She pushed a button and the chair reclined backwards, and became parallel to the ground.

"I'm going to have to inject you with this serum," Liz said sympathetically and produced a small syringe. Cammie grimaced as the needle was inserted in her neck.

"Okay, just lie back and close your eyes," Dr. Fibbs called out. He seemed to be standing a hundred miles away, as Cammie could barely hear his voice. It faded away and soon she heard nothing but silence. A weird sensation crept up her body and she did her best to ignore it. Her muscles started to feel heavy, weak, and tired and she fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p><em>"Cameron?" A voice rang out. <em>

_Cammie opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting in a grey, empty room. There was a table in front of her and seated across from her was none other than Catherine. Cammie immediately tried to stand up and back away, but to her horror she found that she couldn't even move. She looked down and saw that she was tied to her chair. _

_Cammie looked up again, and glared at Catherine. "What do you want?" she spat angrily._

_"Why Cameron," Catherine gave a sickly sweet smile. "You already know what I want."_

_"The names of the Circle members," Cammie whispered. _

_"Good, you so do know what I want," Catherine stood up. "Now, I'd like you to tell me those names."_

_"I_—_" Cammie frowned. "I don't know them."_

_"Cameron," Catherine leaned forward. "I really need you to remember those names."  
><em>

_"And I'm telling you that I don't remember," Cammie said. "You can ask me all you want."_

_Catherine chuckled dryly. "Well then, let's try Method 2."_

_Cammie watched Catherine walk to one of the walls of the room. She placed her palm on a random spot on the surface and a door slid open, revealing a separate dark room. _

_The redhead jerked Cammie up, out of her seat, and led her to the dark room. Cammie kept a straight face and didn't say anything. There was nothing inside the room except some chains hanging from the ceiling and a table with several objects on it. The chains had a pair of handcuffs on them. Cammie eyed the metal strands wearily._

_Catherine pushed Cammie directly underneath the chains and pulled a gun out of her back pocket. She whistled once and two men flanked out from behind her. The came towards Cammie and yanked her arms up. She struggled against their grip once she realized what they were doing._

_"Let me go!" she grunted and writhed around, but the men held her fast. Within seconds, Cammie's hands were raised and handcuffed in the chains. As quickly as they had appeared, the men vanished, leaving Cammie alone with Catherine again._

_Catherine put the gun away and walked over to Cammie. She raised Cammie's chains up and her body went flying. Her feet dangled and her arms were stretched thin. She whimpered as a hot searing pain flashed the length of her entire body. _

_"Let's start again, shall we?" Catherine smiled wickedly and advanced toward her. Cammie shut her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't get killed within the hour. _

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach watched, mouth clenched tight, at the scene in front of him. Cammie was strapped to the machine that was supposed to receive the names of the Circle members, with her eyes closed. Dr. Fibbs had informed Joe, Zach, and Liz that she was in a dormant state and would wake up depending on how fast she was able to get the names. There was a monitor on the machine that would flash the names one by one once Cammie had received them. Everything had been going smoothly so far, and Cammie hadn't shown any sign of instability.

Just then, Cammie let out a small whimper and flinched. She tossed her head to one side...and then the other. Zach stood up straight and watched intently.

"Did you see that?" Joe asked. "What's wrong?"

"Well," Dr. Fibbs glanced at his notes. "Whatever Cammie dreams about will affect her movement and actions."

Zach nodded and looked back at Cammie. She continued sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden she let out a blood-curling scream. Tears rolled down her cheeks but her eyes remained closed.

Zach rushed to her side and felt as if his heart was being wrenched out of his chest. "Dr. Fibbs!" he shouted frantically. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know," the doctor shook his head worriedly. "There's no way to tell what she's dreaming about."

Cammie let out another scream. She writhed around in the bed and her body shook as she produced cries of pain.

"Gallagher Girl?! Cammie! Can you hear me?" Zach said urgently. When she didn't respond, he looked up to Dr. Fibbs. "We have to do something!"

The doctor was running back and forth from the control panel and the machine. Liz stood in a corner of the room, hand over her mouth and face filled with grief. Joe had also come to Cammie's side and was desperately trying to calm her down.

Cammie continued to scream and cry, and after a while her shrieks died down. Soon, she had toned down to small whimpers, breathing heavily while her body broke out in a cold sweat.

_Please be okay,_ Zach thought._ You can't leave me, Gallagher Girl._

* * *

><p><em>Cammie gasped in pain as the hot blade of a knife came flashing down at her cheek. She couldn't imagine something to hurt that much. The blood ran down her cheek and quickly slipped into her mouth. She cringed at the taste of warm metal and did her best to concentrate on something else.<em>

_"Tell me the names! Now!" Catherine screamed in her face, spit flying into Cammie's eyes. She scrunched them closed and moved her head away from Catherine's face._

_"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Catherine growled, placing her hands tightly on Cammie's jaw and pulling her face forward again. "Open your damn eyes and look at me!"_

_Cammie obeyed and moved her eyes to Catherine, but clenched her mouth shut._

_"Tell. Me. The. Names," Catherine said calmly. Even though her voice was quiet, she still sounded deadly._

_"Never," Cammie hissed, and glared at the woman._

_Catherine scoffed and turned her back to Cammie. She rummaged among the items at the table in front of her, murmuring sadistically._

_"You think you're so smart don't you?" Catherine said. "You think that you're better than everyone!" She turned around and screamed at Cammie. "Well guess what! No one loves you!"_

_Cammie couldn't help but stare in horror at the woman's state._ She really has gone mad... _"Your son does," she said quietly. "Zach...he loves me."_

_"That's what you think," Catherine shook her head. "He's just faking it. Zachy would never love a girl like you. The only girl love he would ever love is me." She retorted. "Because I am his mother."_

_Cammie gave Catherine a look of disbelief. "Do you hear yourself right now? Your son_ hates _you. Why else do you think he's with the Outlanders? He hates you for your personality, your horrifying schemes, your insane thoughts. He will_ never _love you. Ever."_

_Catherine came up to Cammie with a bucket in her hand. She poured a foul-smelling liquid over Cammie unexpectedly and she coughed and gagged. She couldn't rub her eyes with her hands so she left them closed._

_Suddenly Catherine yanked her hair towards the ground, and Cammie's head whipped backward. She screamed as the pain was too much to handle at this point._

_"I swear_—_" Catherine whispered threateningly in Cammie's ear but was cut off as someone entered the room._

_"Catherine," a male voice called out. "Leave her alone."_

_Catherine released Cammie's hair and spoke. "Steve. How nice of you to join us."_

_"Your methods won't work, Catherine," 'Steve' said. "The girl's an Outlander; she'll never answer your questions through torture."_

_"What are you proposing?" Catherine asked._

_"Bring her to my lab," Steve answered. "I can take it from there."_

_Cammie felt someone fiddle with her chains. All of a sudden, her hands were released and she fell to the floor in a heap. Brushing the liquid from her eyes quickly, she stood up and backed away from Catherine, who was standing with the bucket still in her hands._

_A small man also stood a few feet in front of Cammie with a round, reddish face and thick black glasses. He wore a white lab coat and slowly extended his hand out towards her._

_"Hi, Cameron," he said with a wide smile. "My name is Dr. Sanders. I'd like to help you, if that's okay."_

_Cammie eyed his hand warily. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she huffed._

_Dr. Sanders gave a short glance to Catherine and nodded his head._

_Catherine walked towards her, pulling out a small rectangular device from her own pocket. Cammie recognized the device as one of the electrical guns the Circle had used on her friends when they were in Gallagher. She stepped backwards from Catherine's advancing figure and couldn't help but cry out in alarm when her back hit the wall. Cammie lunged for Catherine and was about to land a punch when the gun came in contact with her._

_Cammie gasped as the electrical shock shook her entire body. She slumped forward into Catherine's hands and succumbed to the pain as her vision blurred and slowly faded away into a void of blackness._

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach was finally able to relax as Cammie's violent reactions had died down. She was sleeping normally, but the machine showed no signs of the names of the Circle members.

"This is taking a while. How about you guys go get something to eat?" Joe asked Liz and Zach.

Zach met Liz's eyes and realized that she felt the same way he did. "No thanks. I'd rather stay here," he answered.

"Yeah, me too," Liz said quietly. "I'm not hungry anyways."

"Doctor?" Joe inquired. "What about you?"

"I'm okay," Dr. Fibbs nodded. "Thanks though."

"All right then," Joe nodded. "In that case, I'll just go and see if the cafeteria has any coffee," Joe stood up from his seat and Zach turned back to Cammie again.

Suddenly, the machine made a long beeping noise and some text flashed on the monitor. Cammie's body began tossing and turning again.

"She got it! It's the first name!" Dr. Fibbs shouted over the loud sounds and hurried to Cammie's side. He whipped out a notebook and pen and started jotting the name down. Joe came over from the door and also helped Dr. Fibbs get the names down.

Zach and Liz jumped up and helped keep Cammie stable. Her body had started convulsing, as if she was having a seizure.

"Sedate her!" Dr. Fibbs ordered Liz. She nodded and plunged another syringe into Cammie. The convulsing lessened, but still remained.

After five minutes, a trail of blood started trickling out of Cammie's mouth. Zach didn't notice at first but eyes opened wide when he saw the trail of red.

"Dr. Fibbs, something's happening to her!" he yelled. "We need to turn the machine off, now!"

"The names are still coming!" Dr. Fibbs yelled back.

"Dr. Fibbs, please!" Liz cried out.

"Doctor, I'm not going to risk Cammie's life for this!" Joe said urgently. "Turn it off!"

"Just a second," Dr. Fibbs copied the last name that had appeared on the screen down. "Got it!" He ran over to the control panel and pushed the power button. The machine slowly turned off and Cammie's body stopped shaking.

Zach started taking the belt that strapped Cammie to the chair apart and took out the tubes attached to her arms. Liz pushed the reclining button and the chair turned upright again. Cammie's body fell forward and Zach and Joe caught her in their arms.

"We need to get her to the infirmary," Joe said. He and Zach carried her body out of Dr. Fibbs's office and hurried down the hallway, the doctor and Liz trailing behind. They passed a number of students on the way, leaving them with open mouths and worried looks. As they entered the infirmary, Joe and Zach placed Cammie on one of the hospital beds.

A group of doctors came rushing over to the bed. "What's happened?" One of them asked Zach. He quickly explained the situation the best that he could and soon the doctors had attached an IV bag to Cammie and had her sleeping peacefully on the bed again.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Zach asked Dr. Fibbs.

Another one of the doctors, who was standing nearby, answered the question. "She's in a coma at the moment, but we expect her to be conscious soon."

"How soon?" Liz came up next to Zach.

"30 minutes at the least," the doctor assured the three. "We are not sure how long it could last for. But she'll be okay, don't worry."

"Zach, Liz—I'm so sorry," Dr. Fibbs apologized. "I didn't know this would happen—"

"It's not your fault," Zach cut in. "The doctors said she'll be fine, so it's okay." Dr. Fibbs nodded gratefully and turned to Cammie.

Joe was standing next to the bed, stroking her hair absentmindedly. A nurse came over to him and whispered something. He nodded and walked away, coming towards Zach, Liz, and Dr. Fibbs.

"The doctors want us to wait outside—they want to give her some space when she wakes up," Joe told them. They followed him out of the room and saw Bex, Grant, Jonas, Abby, and Preston running to the infirmary with Macey wheeling along behind.

"We came as soon as we heard the news," Bex panted as she reached Joe. She craned her neck over his shoulders and looked into the viewing window. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Joe answered. "She just needed some rest."

"What happened to her?" Abby asked, frowning. Dr. Fibbs sighed and told the newcomers what had occurred in the last hour.

"Why didn't anyone tell us about the experiment beforehand?" Grant demanded.

"It was a last minute decision," Liz said. "We really didn't have time to tell anyone about it."

"When is she supposed to wake up?" Macey asked from her wheelchair.

"Doctors say 30 minutes minimum," Zach replied. "Shouldn't take too long."

"What are we supposed to do during that time?" Jonas said quietly.

"We wait," Joe turned back to Cammie and pressed his lips together. "And we hope for the best."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Boom! So many questions, yet so little answers! Will Cammie wake up from her coma? Will Zach be able to control his emotions? And will Catherine manage to kidnap Cammie? Stay tuned for Chapter 21!**

**Hahaa, thank you so much for everything, guys. I'm really glad to have readers like you, and I couldn't ask for more. I appreciate how patient you all are, and I promise, I will get better at updating the chapters quicker :)**

**But for now, this is where I'm gonna leave you guys. Happy Holidays to everyone, and I hope you have a fantastic rest of 2014. I don't know if I'll be able to update before 2015, but we'll see. **

**Oh and remember to review! Thanks :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Happy New Year! I know I'm a few days late, but still :) How did you guys celebrate? I went to a party, which none of my friends were invited to, so I sat in the corner reading. Which was really hard since the music was sooo loud, and the building we were in had terrible lighting...**

**Anyhoo, here's Chapter 21. I wrote only a little bit at first, but I realized it was way too short for a chapter, so I extended it...by a lot...Sorry if it's too long...Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls series.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

**Zach POV**

Zach was sitting in class, trying to pay attention to what Mr. Smith was saying, but instead he was anxiously waiting on an update of Cammie's health. After they had dropped her off in the infirmary, they stayed for at least an hour. Zach would have stayed longer, but it had slowly started to get closer and closer to the beginning of school, and soon Joe ordered everyone to get something to eat and go back to their rooms to change into proper clothes. He also promised that if he heard any news of Cammie, he would pull them out of class.

Zach looked to his left and saw Grant leaning on one hand on his desk, listening halfheartedly to Mr. Smith's lecture. His shoulders were pulled forward, and he had several creases of worry etched onto his forehead. Zach couldn't blame him when he looked the same way.

"Zach," someone poked him urgently. "Zach!"

"Huh?" Zach said and looked around. "What?"

"Zachary," Mr. Smith's voice drew the boy's attention to the front. "I asked you a question."

"Oh, uh..." Zach looked down helplessly at his notes. "I...I wasn't paying attention, sorry. Could you repeat it?"

Mr. Smith sighed. "What was the impact of Hungary's new trade system on its population?"

Zach racked his brain for an answer. "The trade system provided cleaner water, so the population increased."

Mr. Smith nodded a "Thank you," and continued talking. Zach closed his eyes and rubbed his head with his hands. The anxiety seemed to be eating him alive.

_Please wake up,_ he thought. _Come back to me, Gallagher Girl..._

* * *

><p><strong>Abby POV<strong>

Abby walked towards the detainment center, trying not to look too conspicuous. She held her head high and avoided the gazes of the security guards lined up against both sides of the hallway. She reached the entrance to the center and flashed a smile at the sentry on duty. "Hey Rob."

"Hey Abby," the sentry said slowly. "What are you here for?"

"Oh, um, just checking in on our subject," Abby replied.

"Did Joe send you?" Rob looked through the catalog of visitors. "You weren't scheduled to visit him today."

"Joe decided to send me a couple of minutes ago," Abby assured him. "He didn't have time to contact you beforehand."

"Let me just call him to be sure," Rob reached for his comms unit but stopped when Abby's hand landed on his.

"He's in a meeting right now, so I wouldn't want to do that," Abby faked another smile. "I received a direct order from Joe, and I don't want you to get in trouble for not following it."

Rob pressed his lips together. "All right," he said finally and flicked a switch. A scanner appeared on the door. "Go ahead." He signaled to one of the guards to escort her.

"Thank you," Abby smiled again and placed her hand on the scanner. The machine recognized her prints and the door swung open. She went down the hallway with the guard and stopped in front of Townsend's cell.

"Abby," Townsend stood up once he saw her. She entered after the guard used his key to unlock the gated door.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, the last time we met, you said that you had something to tell me," Abby answered. "I'd like to know what you had to say." She gave the guard a second glance as he closed the cell door behind her and left. When they were alone, she turned to Townsend.

"You're not allowed to be here, aren't you?" Townsend asked.

"I swear, it's like you have a sixth sense or something," Abby shook her head impressively.

Townsend smiled and sat down on his bed. "Listen Abby, what I'm about to tell you may come as a shock."

Abby raised her eyebrows. "What is it?" she asked.

"Rachel is alive," Townsend said evenly.

"What do you mean 'Rachel's _alive_'?" Abby's eyebrows burrowed. "How do you know?"

"I saw her myself, in _Cavan_. The Circle's kidnapped her, and she's been held captive for the past fourteen years."

"_What?_" Abby stared at Townsend with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

Townsend nodded earnestly. "When I was with the Circle, I would always see Catherine disappear into the same room at 5 o'clock every day. I wanted to see what was inside that room and so I broke in—in the middle of the night. The room was locked with Catherine's prints, but I was able to override the lock system to allow my prints as well.

"To my amazement, there was Rachel, imprisoned in a large cell. I went up to her and tried to ask why she was there; what the Circle had been doing to her; etc, but it seemed that she had been drugged or something. My guess is that the Circle's been torturing her to get information about the Outlanders. But Rachel's a fighter, and she knows how to evade interrogation.

"I told her I was a friend of Joe, and she started begging me to free her. I couldn't risk my secret being exposed, so I promised her that I would come back at the right time and get her out of there."

"I can't believe my sister's alive," Abby laughed quietly, but turned serious again and looked back at Townsend. "Is there anything else you know?"

"Yes," Townsend replied. "Cammie's boyfriend from Gallagher—Josh. He's also alive."

"Cammie's dating Zach, so Josh must be her ex," Abby mused.

"She's dating Zach? I knew it!" Townsend grinned. "The way they were standing together during my interrogation was too obvious. They were standing really close, but at the same time, they were trying to stand a little further away so nobody would make assumptions."

Abby shook her head, chuckling. "Cammie's never told me about Josh. What about him?"

"Did Joe ever tell you the story of how Catherine went mad in Gallagher and started experimenting with deadly toxins on herself?" Townsend asked. When Abby nodded he continued. "Well, she's doing the same thing with Josh. Except this time, she's experimenting on Josh instead of her own body."

"She's trying to turn him into a super soldier..." Abby realized. "Once she gets the right formula, she'll use it on all her followers."

"Exactly," Townsend nodded.

"But how did she convince Josh to join her?" Abby inquired.

"He was kidnapped in Gallagher as well, just like Rachel. And he's been completely brainwashed by the Circle," Townsend replied. "They have a doctor named Steve Sanders who uses an insane torture method to influence traitors. The poor kid's gone nuts with crazy beliefs that Catherine is the queen of everyone."

"Oh my god, that's horrible," Abby said. "I need to tell Joe." She was about to leave when Townsend stopped her.

"Wait," he held out a hand. "There's another thing I have to tell you. I...uh, I don't know if you remember or not...but something happened between us, back in Gallagher."

"What do you mean?" Abby gave him a look.

"Let me explain," Townsend said. "It's a bit long, you might want to sit down."

"I'm fine," Abby crossed her arms impatiently. "Hurry up."

"One night in Gallagher, we were having a celebratory feast, and there was dancing after dinner. Everyone was laughing and having a good time except for you. You were sitting off to the side, not participating at all. I came over and asked what had happened, and you said that you had gotten into a fight with Rachel. We started talking and one thing led to another and..." he paused.

"And what?" Abby released her crossed arms.

"We kissed," Townsend looked up at Abby's face. She looked surprised but her expression was soon replaced with confusion.

"When was this?" she shifted uncomfortably.

"We were about nineteen years old," Townsend responded. "After that night, we started seeing each other more frequently, and soon we were—"

"Okay, I know that's not true. Joe said I wasn't attracted to you," Abby interrupted before Townsend could go any further.

"That's because Joe had no idea," Townsend protested. "No one did. We kept a secret."

Abby stepped back uncertainly. "But that doesn't make any sense. And besides, your file said that you loved Catherine."

"Yes, when I was younger. Maybe 2 to 3 years before. This—us," he gestured to himself and Abby, "happened after Catherine had been banished and was living in _Cavan_."

Abby narrowed her eyes at Townsend. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know that everything you told me just now_—_about Rachel and Josh_—_is the truth?"

"I would never lie to you Abby. If you remembered who I was, then you would know that." Townsend said. "Besides, I haven't lied to anyone since I got here."

Abby still gave Townsend a hesitant look. "I'm sorry, but I...I guess I just don't remember anything between us."

"Then let me help you remember," Townsend stood up again. He walked towards Abby and kissed her.

Abby stood stiff with surprise. She didn't pull away, but after a while, Townsend stepped back. She stared into Townsend's eyes, and to her amazement, she realized that she wanted more.

"I have to go," she mumbled and fled the cell, confused by her feelings. She gestured to one of the guards on her way to lock the door behind her.

"Hey, wait!" Townsend rushed after her but was blocked by the guard. "Abby!"

Abby ignored his pleads and hurried back to find Joe to tell him the news of Rachel and Josh.

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

In the meantime, Joe was seated in one of the waiting chairs in the infirmary, next to Cammie's bed. Approximately seven hours had gone by since Cammie had fallen into the coma, and Joe was beginning to get worried.

He caught the sleeve of one of the passing doctors. "You guys said it would take at least thirty minutes for her to wake up. It's been five hours!"

"I'm sorry sir," the doctor shook his head apologetically. "We assumed it was a short-termed loss of consciousness, but now we suspect it might be long term."

"Well, do you have an ETA on her awakening?" Joe demanded.

"I'm afraid not," the doctor shrugged. "Her vitals are good, and her heart's beating normally. The only thing that may allow Cammie to be consciousness is her own will to be awake."

Joe sighed as the doctor walked away. "Cammie, if you can hear me," he walked towards her and caressed her cheek, "please wake up. I miss you_—_we all miss you."

As if to prove his point, the school bell rang, signaling the end of school. Students filed out into the hallways, and within minutes, Zach, Bex, Grant, Liz, Jonas, Macey, and Preston bombarded Cammie's room.

"Is she awake yet?" Bex called out hopefully. The looks on everyone's faces fell when they saw Cammie's state. "Oh..."

"Are you sure she's okay?" Zach asked Joe.

"The doctors say everything's fine," Joe smiled tightly. "She's just not waking up."

A nurse entered the room, clipboard and pen in hand, to take notes of Cammie's blood pressure and heart rate. She leaned over Cammie's bed and peered at the monitor. Joe and the teens ended their conversation abruptly and gave each other wavering looks.

Right as the nurse was writing down the last bit of information, Cammie suddenly sat up and grabbed the pen and clipboard out of the nurse's hand. The nurse screamed and leaped back and the heart rate machine started beeping loudly.

The gang surrounded Cammie's bed as she furiously wrote something down on the clipboard.

"Call the doctor!" Joe yelled at the nurse.

"Cammie," Zach put a hand on the girl's arm and shook her. "Cammie! Can you hear me?" She ignored his touch and continued writing on the paper. It was as if Zach—or anyone else for that matter—wasn't even standing next to her.

"She's in some sort of trance," Preston told the others, staring at Cammie in wonder.

Joe knelt down and looked at her in her eye level. Her eyes had lost their blue color and had clouded completely with a dark shade of gray. "Guys, look at her eyes," he pointed.

"Whoa..." Grant's eyes widened. "What happened to her?"

"Better yet, look at what she's writing..." Zach said.

Joe craned his neck to see over Cammie's shoulder and when he was able to recognize the words, he stared at the paper in amazement.

"It's the Circle members' names," Zach shook his head impressively. "I can't believe she knew that we needed the rest of the them." As he continued to marvel at her, one of the doctors entered the room and ordered the nurse to hold Cammie down.

"Wait! She's writing something important!" Joe held his hand out to block the doctor.

As Cammie finished writing her last words, the whole room fell silent. Everyone was holding in their breath, waiting to see what would happen.

Cammie dropped the clipboard and pen. She sat still for a minute and then suddenly started thrashing around and screaming.

"Leave me alone! Turn it off, please! It hurts!" She sobbed while flailing her arms around.

"Cammie!" Zach tried to stop Cammie from moving. "Cammie, it's okay. It's me, Zach. You're okay—calm down!" She didn't stop, so Zach dropped down and looked at her in the eye. "You're safe."

Cammie slowly came to a stop and stared back at him. "Zach?" she said hopefully and broke down again, this time in relief and happiness. Zach knelt down and embraced her, saying, "It's okay—I'm here," and stroking her head repeatedly.

Joe smiled and looked at the rest of the gang, who were also all smiles. Liz had her hand over her mouth and was in tears while Bex and Macey gave each other a knowing smile.

Zach released Cammie and held her back. "Are you okay?" She sniffled and nodded, turning her head to the rest of the group. Her eyes had gone back to their normal color, and weren't clouded anymore. A collective sigh of relief fell across the room.

"We were so worried," Bex said. "But we're glad you're doing good now."

Liz hiccuped from her tears, and Jonas sighed. "Liz, get it together!"

Liz nodded. "I know—I'm just really happy Cammie's awake," she sputtered tearfully.

"We all are," Joe said. "But, Cammie, are you sure you're feeling fine?"

"Speaking of which, I should check if she still remembers what happened before she was unconscious," the doctor came forward and took Cammie's blood pressure. "Can you tell me your name, hometown, and age?" he asked.

"Um, Cameron Morgan, Gallagher, and 17," Cammie answered quietly, still clinging on to Zach's arm.

"And what's the last thing you remember before waking up here in the infirmary?" The doctor inquired.

"I...I was getting strapped into the machine in Dr. Fibbs's room," Cammie said. She looked at the others. "Wait, what exactly happened? Why am I in the infirmary?"

"It's a lot to explain," Joe pressed his lips together. "You need to get some rest, and then we'll talk. Come one guys," he waved everyone out of the room, making sure to pick up the paper with the Circle members' names on it. He stood by the door as everyone filed out of the room.

"Bye Cammie," the gang chorused, waving.

"Get well soon, okay?" Bex squeezed Cammie's hand and left the room. Cammie nodded and caught onto Zach's sleeve before he left.

"Zach. Can you stay?"

"Of course," Zach said and sat on the edge of her bed. "I'm right here."

Joe smiled to himself and turned away from the door. _She'll be just fine. _He walked back to his office, staring down at the paper in his hands. As he headed down the hall, he heard running footsteps and someone called his name. Joe looked up and saw Abby hurrying to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I have something to tell you," Abby said. "It's about the Circle."

"Come to my office," Joe said immediately and Abby explained everything on the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

"Zach?" Cammie whispered from her bed. She was supposed to be sleeping, but after the turn of events, it was hard to stay that way.

"Yeah?" Zach lifted his head and looked at her.

"What exactly happened after Dr. Fibbs turned on the machine?" She asked.

"Well," Zach looked back down at his hands. "You fell unconscious and we waited for you to get the names. At one point you..." he paused and took a breath. "You started screaming and crying...like someone was torturing you and—"

Cammie looked away at the word 'torturing' and Zach noticed.

"Gallagher Girl, what happened when you were under the machine?" Zach suddenly asked. "Were you dreaming about something?"

Cammie nodded. "It wasn't anything important—"

"Everything about you is important to me," Zach interrupted.

"I saw Catherine," Cammie finally said, giving him a glance. "She tried to get the names of the Circle members out of me."

"She tortured you didn't she?" Zach said bitterly. He stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of Cammie's bed.

"Zach, it's okay—"

"No! It's not okay!" Zach yelled. "I can't let her do this to you, Gallagher Girl...I won't." His expression was twisted with agony.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Zach," Cammie assured him. "Catherine won't get to me."

Zach sighed and sat back down on the bed. "What else did you see?"

"Catherine tried numerous times to get the names, but she failed. Just as she realized it wasn't working, a man came in—he said his name was Dr. Steve Sanders—and took me to his lab. There was a machine—not at all like the one Dr. Fibbs created. He attached me to it and..." She paused. "I don't understand how he did it—it was like he was reaching into my mind and dissecting all my memories. He kept asking me strange questions and saying things about my future. I wasn't even unconscious, so I felt everything—" she looked up at Zach. "It hurt so much—it was terrible."

Zach frowned, and recoiled at Cammie's words. "I should leave you alone," he stood up and came next to Cammie. "You really do need some rest."

Cammie nodded and then groaned. "How much work do I have make up for school?"

"Don't worry about that," Zach smiled and brushed her hair from her face. "I'm sure that your teachers will excuse you for today."

"We also have to practice for the Winter Ball," Cammie smiled, taking Zach's hand in her own. "It's less than a week away."

"I can't wait," Zach brought Cammie's hand up to his lips. "I'm sure you'll look amazing." He smirked and then added on, "Of course, I'll also look equally amazing."

Cammie laughed, "So modest."

Zach smiled and kissed her. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll come back to check on you in a couple of hours."

Cammie nodded and Zach walked towards the entrance, glancing back at her once before he left.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach headed straight to Joe's office after he left the infirmary. Joe needed to know what Cammie had been through and he wanted to see if Joe knew anything about Sanders. _Maybe Townsend would know too._

"Hey Joe?" Zach knocked lightly and peeked his head through the doorway. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He stopped once he saw Abby standing next to him with a concerned expression on her face. "Oh...hi."

"Come on in," Joe stood up from his desk. "What do you need?"

"Um," Zach hesitated eyed Abby warily before answering. _Should she be listening to this?_ "I was talking to Cammie just now, and she told me the events of the dream she had when she was under Dr. Fibbs's machine."

"What happened?" Joe asked.

"She said that Catherine tortured her to get the information of the Circle members," Zach started.

"Sounds like Catherine," Joe sighed and sat back down in his chair. "No surprise there."

"That's not all," Zach added on hurriedly. "She also said that Catherine failed to get the names, so another man, Dr. Sanders, stepped in-"

"Wait did you say Sanders?" Abby interrupted She and Joe exchanged anxious looks.

"Yeah..." Zach nodded slowly but continued. "He put her under another type of machine—Cammie said it was a lot different than the one Dr. Fibbs used—and used some sort of mind-torturing-device-"

"Was Cammie awake during the procedure? Did he ask her any questions?" Abby demanded.

"Yeah, she was," Zach frowned slightly.

"Well, was she injured by the process?" Joe asked.

"She said that it 'hurt so bad' and that the pain 'felt terrible'," Zach said worriedly.

"It's just like what Townsend said," Abby mused out loud.

"What did Townsend say?" Zach looked back and forth between Joe and Abby. "What are you not telling me?"

"Abby talked to Townsend today about the Circle's activities, and she came back with some shocking news."

"What?" Zach crossed his arms.

"The Circle's been keeping Cammie's mother alive and holding her hostage," Joe explained. "And Josh is alive as well, only he's been tortured by the same equipment Sanders used on Cammie, and Catherine's been experimenting on him. To turn him into a super soldier."

_"What?"_ Zach stared at Joe. "So Catherine wasn't really lying..."

"What do you mean?" Joe raised his eyebrows.

"Back when we visited Gallagher, and when Catherine came to kidnap Cammie on the roof, she told her that Josh was alive and in _Cavan_," Zach said.

"What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" Joe exclaimed.

"Well, it's not like I believed her—" Zach protested.

"Zach, I know you hate the guy, but that was valuable information!" Joe yelled. He sighed, frustrated, and rubbed his head. "We have to do something..."

"And what would that be, _rescuing them_?" Zach mocked.

"Yes, that's exactly what we're going to do!" Joe shot daggers at Zach.

"You're not serious."

"I am completely serious."

"Joe, we are not prepared for this. Not even our elite team. We need proper training—"

"We don't have enough time for training! Every second counts. Every second wasted here, in Blackthorne, is another second wasted before the Circle harms Rachel and Josh, or worse, kills them."

"Okay, rescuing Rachel, I get. But why the hell do we even care about Jimmy? He's already brainwashed by the Circle-"

"Because he's like my son! I stayed in Gallagher, watching him grow as one of my own. He's just as important as rescuing Cammie's mother."

"I can't believe this!" Zach threw his hands up in the air. _Why does Jimmy have to ruin everything? Why couldn't he just stay dead?_

"Guys, calm down!" Abby stopped the argument from going any further. "I know that rescuing Josh and Rachel is imperative to you Joe, but Zach is right. The students of Blackthorne are not prepared for a mission like this. And we have to stay focused on protecting Cammie. Imagine if we did go up to _Cavan_ to rescue Rachel and Josh, but we left Cammie at Blackthorne to keep her safe. What would happen if we came back with them unharmed, only to find everyone in Blackthorne dead and Cammie captured?"

Joe bit his lip and looked down.

"What would you do then?" Abby asked. "Do you think Rachel would appreciate having being rescued, but finding out that her daughter was in the exact position she was in not too long ago? What about Josh? Would he have been willing to let Cammie make that sacrifice-"

"All right, all right, I get your point," Joe cut in crossly. He stormed out of the room, and slammed the door behind him.

"What's _his_ problem?" Zach said darkly.

"I don't know," Abby sighed. "But remind me to take Cammie to Townsend the minute she's up and well. I think there's a lot of things they can talk about."

"Speaking of Townsend, why exactly did you go visit him?" Zach inquired. "Every time Joe said his name today, you blushed."

"It was nothing," Abby averted Zach's burning gaze. "Come on, we should go share the news of Rachel and Josh with the others."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Done :) I hope you guys liked the chapter! I have a feeling you know what's going to happen in the next one, but just in case you don't, it will include preparations for the Winter Ball, the Winter Ball itself, and a big surprise at the end ;) Stay tuned!**

**kaitgirl:** I can see why you feel that way. At first, I wasn't too sure about Rachel and Joe either, because I still wanted Rachel to still think of her husband as Matthew, but near the end of UWS, I started to get used to it :)**  
><strong>

**GallagherGirls13BYE:** You'll find out what happens to Cammie in this chapter :) And your play sounds really cool. The Salem Witch Trials has always been super interesting for me. The play I was in was a Native American folktale called The Raven's Tale, and I played Enola, God of the Fish. I celebrate every holiday honestly, but my school's been on break since December 20, and I have to go back to school in 2 days :( Happy New Year!

**tsanderson9:** Awww, thank you so much! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you too :D Thanks for reviewing!

**Liela54325:** Hahaa, so glad you enjoyed it! Happy New Year! I hope you like this chapter :)

**BoricuaBookworm:**You'll find some of your answers in this chapter, don't worry :)

**berkgirl1:** A new reader! Hi! I'm so happy you like the story so far! Hope you like this chapter :)

**Magic-of-writing:** Don't worry, I doubt anyone likes him. Even Catherine...

**Make sure to review for the Zammie (Sorry if either one of them was OOC...I know I romanticize Zach a lot in this story), Rachel and Josh being alive, Catherine's/Sanders's torture methods, AbbyxTownsend (do they have a ship name?), and any predictions for the Winter Ball!**

**Thanks so much and I hope you are all having an amazing start to 2015 so far!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey, how's everyone doing? Again, I'm really sorry this update took so long...It's been so crazy for me the past few weeks. I had two dance competitions and homework and other commitments, but I have a break coming up so I might get another chapter in by next week.**

**Anyways, this chapter took a _really long time_ to write, since I had so many ideas flooding my brain, and it was hard to include all of them together, but I did my best.**

**A couple of things before you start reading, the shoutout section is at the bottom of the page this time, ****and there's also an epic ending to this chapter...but don't skip ahead -_-**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Ally Carter for characters and other names.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

**Macey POV**

Macey was sitting in her wheelchair, staring at her closet, contemplating on what she would wear during the Winter Ball. And she was thinking of how cruel the world could be, as it had made her stuck in a wheelchair right when the Winter Ball was going to take place.

"I hate this," she turned to Preston, who was sitting on her sofa, trying to finish his extra credit for History of Espionage.

"Huh?" Preston glanced up. "Oh. You mean your wheelchair." He smiled weakly. "I'm sure you'll start walking again soon; don't worry."

Just then, Macey's intercom buzzed in her room. She turned her head and wheeled over to the screen, peering at the Caller ID. _Infirmary_, it read.

"Who is it?" Preston asked.

"It's the infirmary," Macey frowned. "Maybe they have an update on Cammie?" She clicked the talk button. "Hello?"

"Macey McHenry?" a voice rang out from the other end.

"Yes," Macey said catiously.

"Hi, I'm one of the doctors from the infirmary, assigned to your medical case relating to the gunshot wound on your right leg. I have some information pertaining to your injury."

"Uh-huh," Macey nodded. She looked at Preston, who mouthed the words, _'What happened?' _She ignored him and let the doctor continue on.

"It's been 8 weeks since your incident, and I think that the wound should have healed by now," the doctor said. "Would you like to schedule an appointment we could take your cast off and get you out of your wheelchair?"

Macey's eyes lit up. "Are- are you serious?" She grinned. "I can start walking again?" She gave Preston an excited grin.

Preston grinned back with surprise. '_That's great!'_ he mouthed.

"With a little therapy, yes, we believe so," the doctor informed.

"Oh my god, that's amazing!" Macey bit her lip to keep from squealing. "When should I come?"

"Anytime you'd like-"

"I'll be there in five minutes!"

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

While Macey was hurrying to the infirmary to get her cast off, Cammie was in her hospital room, getting her last check-in with her doctor before she was released.

"Have you been experiencing any dizziness, or nasuea?" The doctor asked, sitting in a chair next to Cammie's bed. "Upset stomach, weak joints?"

"No," Cammie shook her head.

"So nothing unusual?" The doctor clarified.

"Yeah," Cammie said. "I feel great."

"What about your sleep?" The doctor inquired. "Have you been able to sleep peacefully every night?"

"Um, yes," Cammie replied. This, however, was a lie. She had been receiving nightmares since the first night in the infirmary. They had to do with the dream she had received in Dr. Fibb's lab, and most nights she would jolt awake in a cold sweat with the fear that Catherine was going to hurt her or Dr. Sanders was going to torture her again with his machine.

"Cammie, are you sure?" The doctor could sense her hesitation. "Our health is very important to you. If you have been sleeping with nightmares or-"

"I'm fine, doctor," Cammie interrupted. "I'm completely normal again." She glanced at the clock on the wall to her left. "Can I leave now?"

The doctor sighed and wrote something down. "All right, I'll call in a nurse to bring you your clothes."

Cammie nodded contentedly and leaned back in her pillows.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

"1-2-3-4-!" Zach groaned as he stepped with the wrong foot. He was in his room with Grant and Jonas, trying to master the waltz, but failing every time so far. "Why do I keep messing up?" He stared at his friends for help.

Jonas just smiled sympathetically and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me. I'm just as confused as you."

"You have to bring your left foot back, not your right," Grant supplied.

"I know, I know," Zach bit his lip, frustrated. He closed his eyes and did the steps slowly. "1-2-3-4-5-6," his eyes flew open as he realized he didn't make a mistake. "I did it!" He looked up at Grant and Jonas and grinned.

"Thank god," Grant sighed in relief. "That took way too long then it should have."

"Now I just need to repeat the entire thing again," Zach exhaled. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie walked out of the infirmary, heading straight for Bex's room. It was a Saturday, which most Blackthorne students spent in their rooms, hanging out with friends. But since the Winter Ball was only days away, Cammie could see girls running around, dresses flying out behind them in hand. This weekend would probably be the last chance anyone would get to gather any clothes or accessories for the Winter Ball.

Cammie knocked on Bex's door and grinned when Bex opened it, squealed, and threw her arms around her.

"Cam! You're back!" Bex laughed happily. "It's so good to see you."

"Hey Bex," Cammie greeted. "I just thought I'd stop by."

"I'm glad you did," Bex replied. "I was just about to meet up with Macey and Liz to talk about the Winter Ball. Do you want to come with us?"

"Sure," Cammie nodded and followed Bex out the door. They stopped by Liz's room and headed to Macey's. When they knocked, nobody answered, so the girls asked the students who lived next to her apartment if they had seen her at all. One of her neighbors said that they had spotted her enetering the infirmary not too long ago.

"Oh," Cammie frowned, puzzled. "I was just there."

"Just where?" a voice asked from behind them. The girls spun around and found Macey standing behind them.

_"Macey?"_ Cammie asked in astonishment, staring at the girl, who was perfectly mounted on her two legs. "Your wheelchair...and your cast-"

"The doctor took it away this morning," Macey grinned. "I'm as good as new."

"That's incredible!" Liz gave Macey a hug. She stepped back and gave a smile at the three. "Look at us. We're back to a nice happy family again. Cammie's back from the infirmary, and Macey's healed her leg-" Her voice cracked. "I think I'm gonna start crying again."

"Oh, Liz," Bex laughed and squeezed her shoulders.

"Okay guys, let's get down to business," Macey rubbed her hands together. "The Winter Ball is two days away, so we need to get a move on."

"Oh great," Bex groaned. She turned to Cammie. "When Macey wants to get down to business, it's never good."

"Do I need to ask?" Cammie smirked.

"It's better if you don't."

**xxxxxxxxx**

"I think I'm dying," Cammie groaned as she collapsed on the sofa in Macey's room.

"Me too," Liz added and she took a seat next to her. "Are we done with this?"

"What do you mean 'Are we done'? Of course we aren't!" Macey exclaimed, coming into the room with ten dresses on either arm. "We haven't even picked out a dress for either of you yet." She turned to the bathroom door. "Bex, does your outfit...fit?"

"You tell me," Bex stepped out of the room in a golden mini-dress. "How does it look?"

"Amazing," Macey nodded approvingly. "You have to wear that. Grant is going to love it."

"You think so?" Bex blushed and looked down. "I don't know, maybe-"

"Bex," Cammie interrupted. "It looks great. Nothing's wrong about it."

Bex smiled appreciatively. "Okay. What about you two? Did you find anything?" She gestured to Cammie and Liz.

"I might have found something for Liz to wear," Macey said, pulling out a pink dress out of her pile. "How about this one?"

Liz came forward and took it in her hands. "I like it," she running her hands through the cloth. "It's really pretty."

"Go try it on," Macey ushered her into the bathroom. She turned back to Cammie and smiled apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Cam, that's it's taking so long to find you a dress."

"No worries," Cammie smiled back. "You don't need to be blaming yourself."

"I don't know, it's just that every dress I pull out doesn't seem to suit you," Macey sighed. She sank down on her bed. "Maybe if we distinguish a certain color that would look good on you-"

"Macey," Cammie put a hand out to stop her. "It's okay. You've worked hard enough for one day. I can find something on my own."

"Are you sure?" Macey asked. "I'm really sorry I couldn't help you."

"Macey, it's fine," Cammie smiled again. She glanced at the clock sitting on the wall. "I should probably get going anyways. I wanted to talk to Joe."

"Oh, okay," Macey stood up with Bex and they walked her to the door. Saying her goodbyes, Cammie left Macey's room and headed to Joe's office. On the way there, she collided straight into someone, and immediately gushed out an apology.

"Oomph! I'm so sorry- Oh, Joe. Hey," Cammie said, realizing who it was. "I was actually just looking for you."

"Oh," Joe replied. "What for?"

"Well, I just haven't talked to you at all since I woke up from my coma..." Cammie frowned.

"Of course," Joe cleared his throat and nodded. "Do you want to go to my office?"

"Sure," Cammie nodded. Suddenly, Joe coughed loudly and looked down at the floor, as if avoiding someone's gaze. Cammie looked around and was pleased to see Abby walking down the hallway towards them.

"Hey squirt," Abby ruffled Cammie's hair and walked past her and Joe, ignoring the latter.

"Hey," Cammie grinned. Her grin fell and she turned back to Joe. "What was that all about?"

"We got into a fight earlier," Joe mumbled.

"What about?" Cammie raised her eyebrows.

"About the Circle keeping-" his eyes grew wide when he realized what he was saying. "Wait a second. You haven't even heard the news yet."

"What news?" Cammie said, concerned.

"Here, let's go to my office first," Joe walked off, and Cammie hurried after him.

When Cammie was seated across from Joe she leaned forward, "So what's this about?"

"A couple of days ago, your aunt talked to Townsend, who gave her some intel about the Circle," Joe said.

"Well, what did she find out?" Cammie asked.

"The Circle's been keeping your mother and Josh alive, but for two very different reasons," Joe informed. "Townsend confirmed this to be true, and this knowledge puts us in a tight spot."

"My mom's alive?" Cammie echoed, not sure she had heard Joe correctly. "What's the Circle doing to her?"

"We don't know for sure, but Townsend thinks they're torturing her to find out the location of Blackthorne."

"That doesn't make sense," Cammie frowned. "Couldn't Catherine ask Townsend where the location of Blackthorne was? Why bother wasting time with my mom?"

"I can't question Catherine's actions," Joe shrugged. "But that's one of the reasons why I still don't trust Townsend yet and why he hasn't been released from his cell."

Cammie sighed and rubbed her temple. "And what about Josh?"

Joe looked at her sympathetically, and told her the rest of the information.

* * *

><p><strong>Abby POV<strong>

As Abby was cleaning some things out of her room, she heard a knock on her door. She went to open it, and smiled when she saw her niece standing at the entrance.

"Hi honey," she stepped back to let Cammie in. "What's up?"

"Joe just told me everything that you learned from Townsend," Cammie took a seat on Abby's sofa.

Abby pressed her lips together, "Oh...you must be feeling some mixed emotions."

"I don't know," Cammie looked down at her hands. "I'm just...tired of all this drama happening. And I hate Catherine for it." She glanced back up at Abby. "Why can't I just have a normal life?"

Abby smiled and sat down next to her. "I know our lives are complicated, and that everyday you question the very existence of things, but," she took Cammie's hands in hers, "just remember that you have your friends, and some family members to live for, so don't ever think that you have the worst of it, okay?"

Cammie nodded silently.

"Anyways, I have something to give to you," Abby stood up and walked over to her closet at the foot of her bed. She pulled out a white box with a silver ribbon. "Here," she held it out to Cammie.

"What's this for?" Cammie asked and took the box in her hands.

"Open it and you'll see," Abby smiled.

Cammie pulled the ribbon off and lifted the lid of the box. She stared down at the box and gently took out a sleek, red dress.

"Oh my gosh," Cammie stood up and pressed the dress to her body. "It's beautiful," she gave a light laugh. The dress was floor-length and strapless.

"I figured you could wear it to the Winter Ball," Abby supplied.

"I will," Cammie said earnestly. "I love it, thank you so much." She gave Abby a tight hug.

"I'm glad you like it," Abby nodded. "I've had this dress for a while, and I wanted to give it to you. Why don't you try it on?"

"I think I'll wait for the night itself," Cammie said. "I want to be surprised."

"Okay," Abby grinned.

"And one other thing," Cammie turned to Abby. "I think you should make up with Joe. He didn't mean to say those things about Josh, and I'm sure he'll be fine soon."

Abby nodded slowly. "All right, then. Thank you for that."

"No problem," Cammie laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>? POV<strong>

"Ma'am, we've just received Agent Townsend's signal," the administrative officer peeked into the woman's room.

"About time," the woman stood up and followed the officer into the control room. "What am I looking at?" she called out to the number of officers working the panel.

"The signal just jumped back to us a few minutes ago," the administrative officer supplied. "We believe it's coming from 44 degrees latitude north and 72 degrees longitude west. We also learned that the signal is 3,000 feet below the surface of the earth."

"So Blackthorne's underground," the woman mused. "You were smart Joseph, but not smart enough." She sighed mockingly. "Poor Edward, he didn't even realize we planted that homing beacon on the sole of his shoes." She chuckled maniacally. "Can we access the mic or camera on the beacon?"

"The camera seems to be malfunctioning," the administrative officer told her. "But we can access the mic." He signaled to one of the workers to turn on the audio. A series of voices crackled out of the speaker. One was definitely Townsend, but the woman couldn't place the voice of the other.

_"...gave Cammie the dress. She really liked it."_

_"That's nice."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Listen, Abby, we never talked about the whole thing with us kissing-"_

"So Townsend's found a new lover..." the woman raised her eyebrows. "And she happens to be Rachel's presumed dead sister. Interesting turn of events..." She continued listening to the feed.

_"Look, here's the thing, you may remember us being together, but I don't. So if you really want this to work out, we need to start at the very beginning, from where we were just friends."_

_"...Okay..."_

_"I'll keep visiting you though,"_

_"...I'd like that..."_

_"I also wanted...to ask Joe if he'd let you out for the Winter Ball."_

_"When's that?"_

_"Two days from now."_

_"That'd be nice. Can't wait till I get out of here."_

_"I'll see if he says yes, okay?"_

_"Yeah. Thanks Abby."_

_"No problem..."_

"Turn it off," the woman ordered. "I've heard everything I need to hear."

"What are your next orders, ma'am?" The administrative officer asked.

"Assemble the troops," the woman said. "We will attack two days from now." She smiled evilly. "I can't wait to see the look on Cameron's face when she sees me." She turned to the administrative officer. "Get to work. We have a Winter Ball to crash."

"Yes, Catherine." the administrative officer nodded and shouted orders at the workers in the control room.

"You haven't seen the end of me yet, Cameron Morgan," Catherine spun on her heel and stalked out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ohmygoshwhatjusthappened?! Hahaa, that must be going through your minds now XD **

**Catherine's figured out the location of Blackthorne! ****Wondering what's going to happen on the night of the Winter Ball? Find out in Chapter 23!**

**Oh, look it's time for shoutouts :)**

**BooksLover2000: ** Don't worry, this story will have Zammie until the very end :) There's actually a very...sinister...reason I'm keeping Josh in the story. Thanks for your review!

**Guest: **Tabby...interesting...Anyways, I hope you like how the Winter Ball will turned out in the next chapter :) Yes, I did try to make it like the ball in CMH. I love your speculations about Jimmy :p Keep those thoughts, and you'll see what happens when it all goes down in the next few chapters :)

**Zammie4life: **Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter :) Sorry if the wait took a while :( Stay tuned for Chapter 23!

**OhNobody: **Thank you so much :) Hahaa, you're not a nobody, you're one of my amazing readers :D Sorry if the wait for this update was long :(

**Guest: **Okay, thanks for the clarification :)

**berkgirl1:** Hahaa yes, Jimmy-ahem-_Josh_ is still alive in this story for a big reason. Maybe, just maybe, this chapter clarified your prediction ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**Anastasia: **Omg, you have no idea how much this review made my day :) Are you a new reader? Yes, what Cammie had was a dream, but who knows? Maybe it was a vision...***wiggles eyebrows mysteriously*** XD I'm sorry that this update took a while, but hopefully you liked the chapter. Thank you so much for all your kind words!

**Guest:** Hahaa, yeah, you'll see what happens with Josh, Zach, and Cammie in the next few chapters :) Thanks for reviewing!

**GuessWho (aka Katy):** YASSS! DRAMA! Hahaa, thank you so much for all your incredible comments! Don't worry, I have a great idea for Zach and Josh (hint, hint) :D But otherwise, everything that happens with Rachel and Josh and the Circle will be covered in the next chapter, but I have a feeling you already know what's going to happen...Thank you so much for reviewing! Laterz XD!

**Magic-of-writing:** OMG, YES! That scene was so intense in the movie XD But yeah, now that I think about it, it really does resemble that doesn't it?

**Okay then, I think that's really it...I'm so excited for everyone to find out what's going to happen! ****Thanks for everything, and I'll see you in Chapter 23 :)**

**Remember to REVIEW :) :) :) :) :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hi everyone, I'm back with a new chapter :) Today you'll be able to see what goes down in the Winter Ball, and hopefully you're all excited to read about what happens.**

**Shoutout to my 5 reviewers (I guess I kinda deserved it):**

**miaadventure: **I'm glad you enjoyed this story! It's great to have a new reader, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Thanks for reviewing!

**BooksLover2000: **Don't worry, you will feel satisfied with the whole Josh thing by the end of the story :)

**FrostedRock: **Hi! Welcome :) Yes, the ball's going to be like the one in CMH. Hopefully you'll like this chapter just as well as the others!

**ZipporahGoode:** Here's the next chapter for you :)

**Magic-of-writing: **Hiii! Haha, yeah I got this thrill writing it :) And yes, I can definitely tell that you have a knack for writing a villains POV XD.

**Disclaimer: Any similarities to the original ball in Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy in the Gallagher Girl series is on purpose, and all rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"Macey?" Cammie knocked on the girl's door. "Are you in here?"

"Coming!" Macey opened the door and pulled Cammie inside. "Where have you been? There are less than three hours until the Ball!"

"It's _three hours_, Macey," Cammie sighed. She looked around the room with surprise. Every piece of furniture seemed to be hidden underneath the piles of makeup, hair accessories, shoes, jewelry, and more.

"Three hours is barely anything," Macey spun Cammie around and took a good look at her. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I didn't even ask you beforehand! Did you find a dress?"

"Yes, I did," Cammie smiled. "Abby gave it to me."

"Awesome. And once again, I'm sorry for not finding you something earlier. I can't wait to see it on you."

"I think you'll like it," Cammie nodded.

"Okay, Bex and Liz are in both bedrooms, so you can use the bathroom. First you need to change, and then I'll do your makeup," Macey took Cammie's hair in her hand. "Did you wash your hair today?"

"Yeah," Cammie frowned.

"Is it always this thin?" Macey raised her perfectly penciled eyebrow.

"I guess," Cammie shrugged. "I don't really pay attention-"

"Just go change," Macey sighed. "I'll deal with your hair later."

"Okay, then," Cammie steered herself to the bathroom and pulled out her dress from her bag. After taking off her clothes, she slipped into the dress and let it shimmy up her body. It was a perfect fit and as Cammie stared into the mirror, she sucked in her breath. She looked...different. Older. More mature. She turned around and looked over both shoulders to make sure the dress fit appropriately.

"How does it look?" Cammie opened the door of the bathroom.

"Cam," Macey breathed. "It's beautiful." Bex and Liz came out of the bedroom a couple of seconds after Cammie and they stopped short once they caught sight of her.

"Whoa," Liz's mouth formed a small 'o'. "That dress looks wonderful on you."

"It does," Bex agreed. "You look fantastic, Cammie."

"Thanks," Cammie smiled. "You all look great too."

The girls laughed and grinned at one another. "Come on," Macey led the three to the full length mirror on her wall. "We need to get ready. Bex, can you curl Liz's hair, and I'll help Cammie."

Bex chuckled nervously. "Good luck, Cam."

Cammie frowned. "Why would I need luck- Oh!" Macey firmly pushed Cammie into a chair and immediately started covering her face with makeup. Cammie coughed and dared not move a muscle. Macey kept poking and prodding, and within half an hour, she spun Cammie around in her chair so she could see herself in the mirror.

"Ta-da!" Macey smiled. "Am I a genius, or what?"

"Wow," Cammie blinked. "I look...different." She had light pink lips and her cheekbones were accented. Her mascara and dark eye shadow brought out the deep blue color of her eyes.

"You look hot, that's what you look like," Macey grinned and squeezed Cammie's shoulders. "Okay, you can swap places with Liz now."

Cammie stood and went over to Bex, who sat her down and handled her hair much more gently than Macey had handled her makeup. She styled Cammie's hair so it fell in loose waves down her back. After her appearance was all fixed, Macey handed Cammie a light necklace and bracelet to wear as well as a pair of black stilettos. Cammie, who had never worn heels taller than 2 inches before, had to practice walking up and down the hallway just to make sure she wouldn't trip or fall.

By the time all four girls were completely ready, it was practically the start of the ball. The girls walked together towards the ballroom, which would be set up in the simulation room since it was the biggest room in the facility. As they neared the entrance, the crowd of students and teachers thickened and Cammie's heart started beating faster as she searched to crowd for Zach. When they entered the simulation room, the girls found themselves at the top of a staircase.

"Since when was there a grand staircase in here?" Bex asked in wonder.

"It's the magic of the simulation room," Liz smiled.

"Oh, I see Preston," Macey started to move forward. "I'm going to go to him, okay? See you three later."

"Bye," the girls chorused and searched for their own dates. Bex and Liz spotted Grant and Jonas together and soon it was just Cammie standing on the top of the staircase. She continued scanning the crowd until she saw Zach, standing at the foot of the stairwell, talking to Madame Dabney.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

As Madame Dabney continued on about the history of the waltz, Zach was beginning to feel a bit restless. He had been keeping track of every single girl that came down that staircase out of the corner of his eye, but Cammie hadn't arrived yet. _Where is she?_ He thought anxiously. Zach had no idea what Cammie was wearing, or what she even looked like tonight, and the thought drove him mad with impatience.

"...goes back for generations and generations..." Madame Dabney trilled and waved her arms around.

Suddenly, Zach felt a warm and fluttery sensation in his stomach. He frowned and then realized why he felt that way. _She's here. I can sense it._ "Excuse me Madame Dabney," He smiled hastily. "I'm really sorry."

"Oh...Uh, yes, all right," Madame Dabney nodded.

Zach turned around and faced the staircase.

His heart skipped a beat.

There she was, standing at the top of the staircase, staring down at him with a breathless look on her face. She was dressed in a gorgeous red gown and she was glowing like a bright star.

_Damn. She looks incredible._

Zach felt a smile tug his lips and he raced up the stairs to greet her. "Hey," he extended his arm out for her to take and she clasped it. "You look...beautiful. Absolutely amazing."

"Ditto," Cammie grinned and straightened his bowtie. "I love this look on you. You should wear a tux more often."

Zach smirked. "I look pretty dashing, don't I?"

Cammie laughed and leaned in on Zach's shoulder. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Zach kissed the top of her head. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure," Cammie followed Zach to a small table with drinks. He handed her a tall glass of a light colored, sparkling liquid. "What is this?" She held it back to figure out the contents.

"It's called champagne," Zach lifted the glass up to his mouth. "People used to drink it on special occasions a long time ago." He nodded at Cammie's glass. "Try it, it tastes pretty good."

Cammie took a sip and the taste did please her. "It's nice," she smiled up at Zach.

"Cam! Zach!"

Zach turned to see Bex hurrying towards them with Grant in tow. "Did you see Abby and Townsend?"

"I thought Townsend was in his cell?" Cammie asked. Zach followed Bex's gaze and saw Abby and Townsend standing in the corner of the room. Abby had her arm linked in Townsend and was laughing at something he had whispered in her ear.

"I didn't realize they had something between them," Zach raised his eyebrows.

"He _was_ in a jail cell a couple of hours ago," Bex explained. "Abby probably persuaded Joe to release him."

"And Joe agreed?" Zach pointed out.

"That's what I was thinking," Grant mused.

"Cam, look at the way he's looking at her!" Bex whispered excitedly. "They're so in love. Guess you're going to get a new uncle, soon."

"Oh my god, Bex," Cammie rolled her eyes. "They've known each other for only a couple of weeks."

"I'm going to go over and see if I can catch any of their conversation," Bex grinned and raced off.

"Bex-" Grant tried to grab at her hand, but she slipped out of his grasp and bounded away. "Great," he sighed weakly and gave a grim smile to Cammie and Zach. "See you guys around."

"Bye," Cammie smiled sympathetically. She turned to Zach and they both burst out laughing.

Soon after Bex and Grant had left, Joe came walking towards Cammie and Zach. "Hey you two," He stuffed his hands on his pockets. "Wow. Cammie..."

She looked back at him with questioning eyes.

"You look really nice, is all," Joe said. "How's it going for you two?"

"Good," Zach nodded. "Cammie's just dazzling me with her beauty. In case it isn't obvious, she makes an excellent girlfriend." Cammie blushed and looked to the ground.

"Speaking of which, how has Zach been treating you lately, Cammie?" Joe questioned.

_Crap. Say something good, Gallagher Girl._

Cammie laughed and when Joe gestured for an answer, she looked back and forth between Joe and Zach. "Wait, you're seriously asking?"

"Well, as long as Goode here doesn't try anything," Joe gave Zach a pointed look, "I'll presume everything's okay."

"Uh...yeah," Zach said worriedly.

_Should I have said 'sir'? I should have, right? Dammit._

Joe gave Zach the _'I'm keeping my eyes on you'_ look and walked away.

"Well that was interesting," Cammie laughed nervously.

"Yeah," Zach echoed. "Remind me to never underestimate your step-dad." He looked down at Cammie, who was smiling and taking another drink of champagne. Zach studied her carefully, admiring her the little details. The way she held her glass, the way she relaxed against the wall, the way her smile brightened up the room.

_She's so radiant and stunning and angelic-_

"Zach," Cammie cut into Zach's thoughts. "What's wrong? You're looking at me like-...Zach!"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," Zach rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"What?" Cammie gave him a probing look.

"Uh, well...I...It's just that you look amazing tonight."

"You said that, already," Cammie smiled.

"And I'm saying it again because it's true," Zach pulled Cammie in and kissed her. As they broke apart, the senior class's waltz music started playing through the speakers of the ballroom. All the students who had been dancing beforehand cleared out the floor and Zach grinned. He bowed down and held his hand out.

"May I have this dance?" He felt Cammie take it and led her over to the floor where the other students were talking their positions. Madame Dabney was walking through the pairs, correcting their positions before they started.

Their cue arrived and Zach and Cammie started moving to the music, drifting gracefully around the dance floor. As they danced, the couple made small talk and before they realized it, their time passed by.

At a lull in the conversation, Zach gazed down at Cammie and smiled. She returned his affection with an equally happy smile.

"Something on your mind?" She asked.

"No, nothing," Zach shook his head. "All I wanted to say is..." He paused and looked around the room. "Tonight is perfect. The decorations are perfect. The food and drinks are perfect." Zach looked back down at Cammie's face. "And you. You're perfect."

Cammie's cheeks darkened and she withdrew her gaze from Zach. "For the record," she hesitantly looked back up at him. "I think you're pretty perfect too."

Zach took this opportunity to lean in and capture Cammie's mouth. As if on cue, the music faded away and the senior students stopped dancing. Cammie moved her right arm from Zach's grasp and draped it over his shoulder.

After a couple of seconds Bex and Grant walked by and Grant hissed _"Get a room"_ into Zach's ear. Cammie and Zach hastily released each other and left the floor. As they wove through a group of tables with several chairs strewn around them, Zach heard a small tearing sound and the sound of Cammie swearing.

"What happened?" He turned around and saw Cammie bending down and peering at the bottom of her dress.

"My dress ripped," Cammie sighed and stood back up

"Oh, do you want any help fixing it?" Zach offered.

"Um, I'll get Macey," Cammie answered. "She'll know what to do. Hang on, I'll be right back."

"Okay," Zach nodded as Cammie backed away. "Come back soon."

"I will," She gave Zach an apologetic smile and hurried away.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Searching for Macey wasn't too hard of a task. Cammie found her all over Preston's face in one of the corners of the room. After awkardly waiting behind the pair for a couple of minutes, Cammie cleared her throat and called out Macey's name.

"Oh! Cam," Macey and Preston jumped away from each other. Macey stood up straight and brushed her hair away from her face. "Sorry, um, what's up?"

"It's my dress," Cammie turned and lifted the skirt up.

"Whoa, what happened?" Macey's eyes widened.

"The fabric got caught underneath a leg of a chair," Cammie explained. "What should I do?"

"Here, come with me," Macey took Cammie's hand and said goodbye to Preston. "I'll be back in a sec, okay?"

"Sure," Preston nodded and Cammie smiled at him before turning to follow Macey.

"I have a sewing kit back in my room," Macey said as they left the ballroom and walked through the empty hallways.

"Okay," Cammie said, lifting her dress up so it didn't drag on the floor.

"Actually, why don't you just wait here?" Macey stopped and parked Cammie in front of one of the rooms. "I'll just bring the kit to you so you don't have to come all the way carrying your dress like that."

"Sure," Cammie leaned against one of the walls.

"Do you have your comms unit? Call me if anything happens, okay?" Macey said. "I won't be long."

"Yeah," Cammie nodded as Macey walked off. Leaning against the wall, she sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Zach was right; tonight was perfect. Or it had been. Until her dress had suddenly decided to give her a hard time.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, Cammie opened her eyes and looked down the hallway. Macey was nowhere to be found, and Cammie checked her internal clock. It had been approximately 11 minutes since Macey had left and it shouldn't have been taking her so long.

_I hope nothing happened to her._

Dissmissing her daunting thoughts, Cammie glanced down at her dress again. Suddenly, she heard a sound, like an object clanging against metal. She glanced up sharply in time to see a dark figure disappearing behind the corner of the hallway.

Frowning, she took a step towards the direction the figure had gone and cringed when the sound of her heel against the linoleum floor echoed throughout the corridor. She yanked her heels off and hooked her fingers through the straps. Remembering that she always carried an extra weapon with her, Cammie reached into the bottom of her shoe and pulled a small knife out of the sole.

Once again, the sound of metal rang out, and Cammie crept forward, trying to find the source. As she rounded the corner, the dark figure was already at the end of the corridor. By the looks of it, the figure was a male—a really short male—and had fiery red hair.

_Do any Outlanders I know have red hair?_

The figure opened a service door and ducked inside. As soon as the door was closed, Cammie ran forward and entered the same room. Inside, it was pitch black, and the only light source was in the center, where a woman sat, tied to a chair.

Cammie's eyes widened and she raced forward, kneeling in front of the woman.

"Mom?"

The woman stirred and lifted her head up groggily. Her eyes opened and before she could speak, the woman looked at something behind Cammie and screamed.

Suddenly, a heavy object came hurtling at Cammie. It impacted her head and Cammie groaned as black dots swam in her vision. Slumping forward into someone's arms, the last thing Cammie remembered before falling unconscious was the sound of nearing footsteps and a light chuckle.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach put his head into his hands and brushed his hair away from his face. It had been over half an hour after Cammie had left, and Zach had no idea where she had gone or what she was planning to do in the first place. He stood up and walked over to Bex and Grant, who were dancing together.

"Hey, guys. Have you seen Cammie by any chance?" he asked.

"No," Bex shook her head. "Why, what happened?"

"Nothing, she just went to find Macey because of a dress malfunction," Zach supplied. "And it's been a while since I've last seen her."

"I'm sure that she's here somewhere," Grant smiled and whisked Bex away.

Zach nodded and left the couple, searching the crowd of students. He spotted Preston, who was sulking in a chair to the side of the room.

"Preston!" Zach called out. "Have you seen Cammie or Macey anywhere?"

"Uh, yeah, they left to go fix Cammie's dress," Preston said. "They haven't come back yet, though."

"Oh," Zach looked to the entrance by the grand staircase. Just as he was about to turn back to Preston, Macey came walking through the doorway. She caught sight of the two boys and walked over to them.

"Hey," she said, holding a small box in her hand. "It took me way too long to find this," she lifted the box up. "Where's Cammie?"

"I thought she was with you..." Zach said slowly.

"She was," Macey frowned. "But she wasn't where I left her, so I assumed she came back here."

"What do you mean 'she wasn't where I left her'?" Preston asked.

"Start from the beginning," Zach demanded.

"Well, we were going to my room to get my sewing kit so that I could stitch Cammie's dress up. She was having a hard time walking while holding her dress up off the ground, so I told her to wait in one of the hallways while I went and got the kit. It took me forever to find it, and when I came back to get her, she was gone."

"Gone?" Zach repeated.

"I thought she came back here since I was taking too long," Macey explained.

"She never came back," Zach shook her head.

"Well then where is she?" Macey asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Zach pushed past Macey. "Something doesn't seem right. Cammie wouldn't just leave like that."

"Where are you going?" Macey called out after him.

"I'm going to find Joe," Zach yelled back. He made his way over to him, and quickly explained what had happened.

"She's missing?" Joe asked. "Did you check her room?"

"No, but I don't think she'd go there without telling one of us," Zach said.

"Try calling her comms," Joe advised. "I'll go out looking for her."

"I'll come with you," Zach followed Joe through the throng of people mingling about.

As soon as Joe and Zach and cleared the dance floor, the whole building shook and bits of the ceiling rained down from above. The chandeliers swayed and all the students fell quiet in shock.

"What was that?" Zach asked nervously.

"I don't know," Joe said. "But it doesn't sound good."

All of a sudden, the lights turned black and the speakers started blaring the all-too-familiar alarm.

"CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK," the speakers screeched.

_Not again,_ Zach thought.

"Shit," Joe cursed and ran through the crowd of students, all stampeding towards the exit. "We need to find Cammie now!"

"I'll check her room!" Zach called over the noise. "You go find Jonas and ask him to get eyes on the doors!"

"Copy that!" Joe shouted back and raced off. Zach sprinted down the hallways towards Cammie's room. He reached her door and knocked on it once.

"Cammie!" When no one answered, he busted the door opened and burst inside. The room was empty, so he turned around and left. After trying to reach her comms unit and failing, Zach ran to the security room and found Jonas, Joe, Patricia, Abby, and Mr. Smith inside.

"What's going on?" Zach asked breathlessly.

"The security mainframe's been breached," Jonas explained. "We have no access to the doors in the hangars, basement, or sublevels."

"Catherine's here," Zach stepped back from the group in realization. "She's here for Cammie."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Zachary," Patricia warned.

"Jump to conclusions?!" Zach said incredulously. "The only thing Cammie's in danger of _is Catherine_! I mean think about it, Cammie goes missing during a social gathering, where every single Outlander is in one room and the halls are empty. Today would be the perfect opportunity to grab her."

"Jonas, has anyone entered the building through any of the breached entrances?" Joe asked, once he registered what Zach was saying.

"Let's see," Jonas skimmed through the feed. He stopped suddenly at the camera focusing on the hangar doors. The door was open and a plane was sitting in the hangar, ramp down.

"That's not an Outlander plane," Abby said.

"It's Catherine," Mr. Smith replied. "We need to send forces down there, now."

"On it," Joe sent out a message through his comms. "Zach, call the elite team and Abby, get Townsend. I'll get the soldiers down there as well. We can't let Catherine take Cammie."

Zach left the room before Joe even finished his sentence. He called the team on his comms and soon they were making their way down the elevator into the hangar.

"Gear up," Zach called out to the group of students in the elevator. They loaded thier guns and got into ready position. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the students spilled out into the lobby, which was connected to the hangar, and were immediately met by gunfire.

"Get down!" Zach shouted and crouched behind a barrel of jet fuel. All the students dropped and hid behind a protective cover.

"Cover for me!" he called out to Grant. He nodded and Zach ran out from behind the barrel. Making his way to the plane's ramp, Zach shot some of the Circle agents down. He ran to the end of the lobby and entered the hangar. He was inches from climbing the ramp when he heard a gun trigger cock from behind his head and someone say "Don't move."

Zach stopped and slowly turned around. He came face to face with Catherine.

"You," he snarled and lunged towards her. She took a step back and tasered Zach in the ribs. He stumbled backwards and fell down to the floor.

"I'm sorry, son," she smiled apologetically.

"I'm no son of yours," Zach spat, shaking from the shock of the taser. "Don't touch Cammie, or I swear to god, I will hunt you down and ki-"

"Now, now, Zachy," Catherine interrupted. "Don't talk to your mother like that."

"Shut up!" Zach screamed.

"Oh Zach," Catherine said. "It hurts me to see you in pain. Please tell me if there's anything I can do for you to fix this mess."

"Take me instead," Zach whispered.

"What?" Catherine frowned.

"I mean it. Don't leave with Cammie. Take me in her place."

"Zachy, you know how much more worth Cameron is to me," Catherine said mockingly.

"She doesn't deserve this, take me please," Zach was almost begging now.

"I can't do that, Zachy," Catherine shrugged. "Joe takes better care of you than I ever could." She crouched down next to him and brushed the sweat from his face. "All I ever wanted for you is to be safe."

Zach leaned forward and bit her hand. Hard. She yelped in pain and Zach took the oppurtunity to jump up and shoot her twice. Suprisingly, Catherine just looked up and smiled, unfazed from the bullet wounds.

"Special advantage of the super soldier serum I've been using," she said. "I don't feel much pain for bullet wounds." She got up and advanced towards Zach, and soon the two were sparring in hand-to-hand combat.

After a while, Zach began to feel fatigued, but Catherine still was going strong. At a moment of weakness, he gave Catherine a little too much time to recover from his left hook and she came back up, producing two deadly looking syringes from her belt. She kicked Zach to the ground and plunged the syringes into his neck. He gasped as the serum took place and slowly put him to sleep.

"You b*tch," he croaked, reaching for Catherine's shirt. "You won't get away with this."

"Goodbye Zachy," he felt a cool hand caress his cheek. "Tell Townsend that the chip on his shoe was really helpful."

"No..." Zach rasped. "Gallagher Girl..." He closed his eyes and the blackness overcame him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

**:D :D :D *insert evil laugh here***

**Yes, that was the ending. Yes, you're going to have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens. Yes, the wait will be hard. But yes, the wait will be rewarding.**

**Speaking of waiting, **I will be out on a school camping trip all of next week, so I won't be updating until after March 13th. **I would have brought my computer or something, but we aren't allowed to bring any electronic devices :( Sorry in advance. **

**Tell me what you thought of this chapter! Hate it? Love it? Did you swoon when Zach was in a tux? Did you sigh when he said all those things to Cammie? Did you gasp when Catherine captured Cammie? Give me your predictions of what's gonna happen to Cammie :) Anything you want to see in the next few chapters? Gimme all you got!**

**Allrighty then, I shall see you in a week or so. Thanks for all your love and remember to REVIEW PLEASE! You'll get a shoutout :)**

**Take care :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hiiii, I'm finally back again. So the last update was really something. In this chapter, you'll be able to see what the characters are going through (like recovering I suppose) after the events in the Winter Ball, leading up to Cammie's capture. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

**Liz POV**

"And once we run the specs, we can do a quick assessment to see if the levels fluctuate or not," Dr. Fibbs said, looking up from his clipboard. "Liz?"

"Huh?" she glanced back to Dr. Fibbs' face.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah."

That was a lie.

Nothing was all right. Not after what had happened at the Winter Ball. Not after what had happened to Cammie.

* * *

><p><em>"Joe," Liz came running up to him, breathless. "What happened? Where's Cammie? Is she all right?"<em>

_Joe turned around and Liz tentatively stepped back once she saw that his eyes were wet._

_"Joe?" She asked, her voice wavering. "Where's Cammie?"_

_"They took her," Joe whispered, his face twisted with pain. "Cammie _—_ she's gone."_

_"What?" Liz's mouth fell open. "No...she can't be gone..."_

_"I'm so sorry, Liz," Joe said helplessly. _

_Liz's eyes widened and saw Jonas walking towards the two. She ran up to him, crashing into his arms._

_"Liz," he asked worriedly, holding her back so he could see her. "Liz, are you-."_

_"Please tell me Catherine didn't take Cammie."_

_Jonas looked at her sadly and then shook his head. Liz choked back a sob, burrying her face into Jonas's shoulder. _

_"Shhh," Jonas smoothed her hair. "It's okay. Calm down. It's gonna be okay. I promise."_

* * *

><p>"Liz!"<p>

Liz jumped back to Dr. Fibbs' face, startled. "Sorry, I...," she ran her hands through her hair. "I just need a minute."

"Of course," Dr. Fibbs nodded and turned away.

Liz sighed and stepped outside of the classroom, taking a breather in the hallway.

Jonas had been wrong. It wasn't okay. It had never been.

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

"We've received several calls from other leaders of other villages," Abby said. She was sitting across from Joe's desk, sifting through incoming messages on his tablet. "They've all given their condolences on Cammie, and they want to offer any help they can in stopping Catherine."

"I don't need condolence messages," Joe said bitterly. "What I need is Cammie back and Catherine gone."

"Yes, and we will do that," Abby said. "Eventually. But right now, you need to focus on getting the Outlanders up and running again. The students have been scared straight after they heard the news that Catherine had infiltrated the base and taken one of our own. And the rest of Cammie's friends—" she paused. "Well, let's just say none of them are doing very well right now."

Joe sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't even know where to start."

"I could get Townsend to train with—"

"Don't. Say. His. Name," Joe said, his voice dangerously deadly.

"Joe, you're going to have to forgive him at one point," Abby pointed out. "It wasn't his fault—"

"Wasn't his fault?" Joe looked at Abby in disbelief. "He had a freaking GPS chip in his shoe!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "I don't even know if it gets better than that!"

"He didn't know," Abby said. "He was played by Catherine. We all were."

"That doesn't excuse anything," Joe shook his head. "There were several ways he could have prevented the situation, being the spy he is. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if he purposely didn't say anything about it."

"Joe!" Abby gave him a look. "Don't say that."

"You don't want me to say that because you don't want to lose hope. You want to trust Townsend. But I'm telling you, Abby," he came up to the woman and stared her in the eye. "Whatever it is you have going on with Townsend, romantic or not, it needs to end. He will only bring you pain and grief, and believe me, you don't have the time to handle that right now." And with that, Joe turned around and walked out of his office, leaving Abby to stare after him sympathetically.

* * *

><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

That was probably the hundredth time Bex had said those words that day. And every time she said it, the less "fine" she felt. But she had to stay strong. For Cammie.

"Do you want something to eat? Drink?" Grant asked.

"No, I'm good," Bex turned to him and smiled weakly.

"Okay," Grant's look of concern didn't go away. Ever since the night of the Winter Ball, he had been extra cautious to make sure Bex was taken care of and comfortable. He tried not to make it seem obvious, but so far, he had been failing. Bex didn't mind the sweetness, but what she did mind was Catherine taking her best friend away from her.

The past few days, the idea of a rescue mission had been lingering around in her mind. Sure, there was the fact that Cammie was probably high in the sky in _Cavan_, locked up in a jail cell or some torture chamber, all by herself with maximum security detail, but come on, it shouldn't be _that_ hard. Then only thing she had to do was to pick up recruits, talk to Joe, come up with a game plan, gain supporters, and finally, talk to Zach to see if he would on board.

Talk to Zach. The one thing she didn't want to do. Zach was a flat out mess after the Winter Ball. The past few days, he stayed locked up in his room, never showing his face. Nobody had heard from him and he never showed up to breakfast/lunch/dinner.

"I'm worried about Zach," Bex said suddenly, looking up at Grant.

"Oh," Grant replied, and then sighed. "Yeah, me too."

"He's been stuck in his room for weeks now, and I feel like the solitude's making him worse."

"Can you blame him? The love of his life's been taken away from him, and not just by an evil psychopath, but his mother. He must feel terrible."

"I can't imagine what he's going through..." Bex shook her head. "It's not fair. He doesn't deserve this."

"No one does," Grant agreed.

"Do you think we should talk to him?" She asked, lacing her fingers through Grant's.

"You can try," Grant answered. "I doubt it will be of much worth."

"I think we should," Bex got up from her seat. "Come on."

"What, now?" Grant looked up at her.

"Yes, now," Bex said, hauling Grant to his feet. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Townsend POV<strong>

"Hey."

Townsend looked up to see Abby standing in front of him. He smiled and got up, walking over to her.

"How's it going?"

"Good, I suppose," Townsend chuckled. Right after the events of the Winter Ball, Joe had sent him back to his dingy little cell, just like Cinderella had changed into her servant's attire at the stroke of midnight. But he shouldn't feel so greedy after what had just happened. "I'm sorry about Cammie," he said quietly.

"You say that every time I come here," Abby tilted her head curiously.

"Because I mean it," Townsend pressed. "I didn't know that Catherine had planted—"

"I know," Abby said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I forgive you."

"Joe hasn't. Neither has Zach," Townsend crossed his arms.

"They will, in time," Abby promised. "Catherine's put you in a tight spot, trying to make you the vulnerable one. She's the actual one to blame; the real enemy," she paused. "Not you."

"Yeah," Townsend looked down at the floor. He distinctively remembered his incident with Zach after the teen had regained consciousness from Catherine's blows.

* * *

><p><em>Townsend sat in a chair in the infirmary, watching Zach sleep peacefully on the gurney. For once, the boy looked calm and relaxed. It was ironic, how his girlfriend had just been kidnapped and here he was, resting calmly.<em>

_After a few minutes, Zach began to stir and his eyes fluttered open. Townsend stood up and walked to his bedside._

_"Hey, man," he greeted. "Rise and shine."_

_Zach frowned and peered closely at Townsend. Seconds later, he was up and had pushed Townsned to the wall, lifting him by the cuff of his jacket._

_"You bastard," Zach growled. "You caused this."_

_"What?" Townsend reached around Zach's grip and pressed the "Call Attendant" button. "What did I do?"  
><em>

_"You had the GPS implanted in your shoe!" Zach was screaming in Townsend's face now. "You're with the Circle! You helped them kidnap Cammie."_

_"I did nothing of the sort," Townsend said, as the nurses came running in. They separated the two and forced Zach to sit back down on the bed._

_"You're one of them!__" Zach yelled. "Someone kill him or I will myself!"_

_"Zach," one of the attendants walked towards the teen with a large syringe that contained what could only be a sleeping serum. Sure enough, within seconds, Zach had crumpled to the floor, and Townsend escaped the commotion hurriedly._

* * *

><p>Ever since that had happened, Joe seemingly didn't take any chances, and immediately locked Townsend up, preventing him from participating in any Outlander activities whatsoever.<p>

It wasn't too bad, but Townsend still felt a little wary about the whole situation. And he also felt awful about Zach. He didn't mean to cause any trouble, but at this point, to the Outlanders, it seemed to be all that he did cause.

"Things will get better," Abby assured, giving Townsend a genuine smile.

"I hope so," Townsend nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie's vision slowly started to appear, like little pixels making a computer screen come into focus. Her hearing became more coherent and her muscles became less numb. She groaned and slowly started to move, blinking groggily and trying to sit up straight.

She had been lying on her side, in a bed with sheets drenched in her sweat. As she swung her legs over the side of the mattress, her surroundings became clear. She was in a grey room with steel walls running on all four sides, as well as the ceiling and floor. The room was empty, excluding her and the bed she had been sleeping on.

Cammie heard a noise and she turned towards the direction of the source. Outside her cell, she heard voices talking back and forth with one another. She pressed up against the door in order to make out what they were saying.

Just as she did so, someone opened the door from the outside and Cammie went flying backward.

Three tall figures stood at the doorway, and one of them was Catherine. She crouched down, squatting to Cammie's level.

"Hello there, Cameron," she smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: O.o Whatever Catherine has in mind, I don't think I want to know...**

**What'd y'all think? Did you enjoy? Have any questions or comments, including predictions? Feel free to PM me or write a review!**

**Lily Jaynez: **Thank youuuu :) Hope you like this update!

**Guest: **Omg, thank you so much! I appreciate all your kind words ;)

**Guest: **Everything will be revealed soon, I promise! I hope this chapter answers some of your questions. Thanks for reviewing!

**awesomegirl3362: **Hahaa, don't we all?

**BooksLover2000: **:( This story has a happy ending I promise :)

**miaadventure: **I feel your pain :) I hope you like this chapter, thanks for reviewing!

**Katx: **Oh my gosh, thank you :D I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, and honestly the one reason I write is because of kind readers like you :) Again thank you so much for you comments, and I hope you like this chapter!

**Tennage Gallagher Girl Spy:** Thank you for reviewing! :) Yes, Catherine has become less human over the past few chapters, and I also can't wait for you to see what will happen! I read your story, and it's pretty good so far, keep it up!

**Magic-of-writing:** Yup :) Hope you liked this chapter!

**Thank you so much for the nine reviews! You guys are awesome! Like Bex kinda mentioned in this chapter, she will start planning for a rescue mission, and Zach will be brought back again in the next chapter. **

**See you at Chapter 25 :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Wow. Honestly, you guys are amazing. I have no idea where I'd be right now without every single one of you, so thank you for all your support. It makes me feel so happy that you guys love this story :)**

**And I'm sorry for taking so long to update. School caught up with me but I'm on Spring Break right now so I have a little time off.**

**In this chapter, Bex and Grant will (maybe/maybe not) be able to talk to Zach, and (possibly/possibly not) the idea of a rescue mission for Cammie will be passed around. And once again, we'll be able to see what Catherine's evil schemes look like on a regular basis of torturing Cammie :) Fun, am I right? XD**

_*****By the way, this chapter picks up right where the last chapter left off :)*****_

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girl series, all rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"Let's get started, shall we?"

Cammie glared at Catherine, gritting her teeth and suppressing the urge to lunge at the woman. The two other people behind Catherine came forward and tied Cammie to the bedpost with heavy metal chains. Cammie resisted the urge to fight them, knowing that she would easily lose.

"What, are you going to torture me?" she scoffed. "Been there, done that."

"Actually," Catherine stood up from her position. "No, I'm not. As your mother showed me, torturing people in your family wastes precious time. You Morgan's are as tough as nails," she paused when she saw Cammie's reaction. "Yes, Cameron. Your mother is, in fact, alive."

Cammie exhaled, not really sure if she should be relieved or not. "Can I see her?"

"What makes you think I would let you do that?" Catherine laughed. "As I was saying, torture isn't going to give me what I want fast enough. Instead, we'll use another method—one that's more efficient."

She stepped back and the wall slid to one side—revealing a glass pane with someone sitting behind it.

"Zach?!" Cammie strained forward in alarm, her chains painfully tugging at her wrists and ankles. Zach sat—head lolled to one side unconsciously—on the other side of the window.

"What did you do to him?" Cammie looked up at Catherine worriedly.

"Oh, nothing," Catherine said. "Yet." She placed her hand on the scanner on the wall and a door appeared. Catherine and the Circle agents walked through it, but only Catherine appeared next to Zach, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Now, tell me the names of the Circle members," Catherine said.

Cammie pressed her lips together tightly and didn't answer. Catherine pulled out a knife and dragged it across Zach's cheek. Cammie gasped and writhed in her chair.

"Leave him alone!" she yelled.

"Give the names, and I will," Catherine replied. "Otherwise, he'll die."

"No," Cammie shook her head. "You won't. I know you. You'd never kill your own son."

"Then you don't know me," Catherine simply said. She took the knife and pulled it across Zach's throat. Blood spilled and Cammie screamed in horror.

"No!" She burst out sobbing. "Oh my god...Zach!" She looked at Catherine in disbelief.

"Defy my rules again, and it'll be your step father next," Catherine said coldly. She dropped the knife and walked out of the room.

Cammie continued crying and stared at Zach's lifeless body. She was in shock and completely, utterly, speechless. _This must be some sort of twisted, sick, nightmare,_ she thought. _I'm sure I'll wake up the next minute, with Zach alive, and safe in Blackthorne._ But every time she closed her eyes and then opened them, she was still sitting in the same room with Zach's body across from her.

"Zach," Cammie whimpered. "Please be okay. Please wake up. Please, please, please. You can't leave me. You can't, you can't. I need you." When the boy didn't move, Cammie screamed. "Zach! Oh god," she sobbed even harder and bent her head forward. "I can't do this anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Grant POV<strong>

"I have an idea," Bex said, turning to look at Grant. They had just left Bex's room and were originally planned to visit Zach, but Bex had stopped Grant along the way.

"What?" he asked, came to a halt alongside her.

"I need to talk to Townsend," was all she replied. She sped off, Grant hurrying after her questioningly. They wove through the compound and Grant followed Bex to the security department. She and Grant quickly scanned through the checkpoint—being a part of the elite team gave them easy access to the security clearance—and Bex led him to Townsend's cell.

"Bex? Grant?" Townsend stood up. "What are you doing here?"

"I had some questions," Bex answered. "About the Circle."

"What do you want to know?" Townsend asked.

"If there was a way to rescue Cammie," Bex started, "how exactly would we go about that process?"

Townsend nodded understandably and sat back down. "You'd need a lot of disguises, weaponry, proper communication, quick thinking, and an damn good plan."

"Tell us everything," Grant said, sitting down on the floor in front of Townsend's cell, Bex joining him.

* * *

><p><strong>Catherine POV<strong>

As Catherine stepped out of the room where her "son's dead body" was sitting, an attendant walked forward with a towel. Catherine took the towel and wiped the fake bloods off her hands.

"That ought to do the trick," Catherine chuckled to herself. "Keep a monitor on the girl and see if she breaks," she ordered the attendant. "And get the second dummy ready for disguise. It needs to look like Joseph Solomon." Turning around, Catherine came face—to—face with Dr. Steve.

"Dr. Steve," Catherine smiled. "I must say, your method seemed to work like a charm. Using a dummy to kill my own son—excellent idea."

"Well, I know how much you love putting on a show," Dr. Steve answered. "Cameron will definitely believe that Zachary is dead."

"Ah, yes. The theatrics was probably the best part," Catherine agreed. "Unfortunately, though, the minute she gives us the names, she's going to end up with the same fate as that puppet."

"A pity," Dr. Steve looked down at the security feed. Cameron had her eyes closed and her cheeks were still wet. "She would have made a good addition to the army."

"It's too risky," Catherine shook her head. "I don't want to have to deal with her struggling against the serum."

"Very well," Dr. Steve walked Catherine out of the room to the hallway. "We'll keep an eye on her." He paused and then asked Catherine, "Does Rachel know that her daughter's here?"

"I don't know if she's figured it out yet," Catherine frowned. "But if she doesn't, I'll be sure to tell her." She gave Dr. Steve one last smile and then turned to walk down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

Bex walked up to Zach's room, Grant and Townsend following. She and Grant had asked the guards to release Townsend for a small favor, and since they were advisers for Joe, the guards complied. After this was all done, though, Townsend was to be returned to his cell.

"Zach?" she called out hesitantly. "Are you in there?"

There was no answer—not that Bex was surprised. She turned to Grant giving him a questioning look. He just shrugged and motioned for her to try again.

"Zach? It's Bex. Can you open the door?"

Again, there was silence. This time, Grant walked forward and spoke. "Hey man, open up. It's Grant. We just want to talk to you."

"We have some new information on Cammie's situation," Bex supplied, trying a new approach. She gave a wary glance at Townsend, who awkwardly stuffed his hands in his pockets.

The lock clicked, and the doorknob spun around. Bex held her breath as the door opened a crack and Zach poked his head out.

Only to shut it back a second later.

"Zach!" Bex reached for the handle but Zach seemed to set the lock just in time.

"Why is he here?" Zach said gruffly, clearly referring to Townsend. His voice was dry. Empty.

_Like he hasn't spoken for weeks and this was his first time talking. Actually, wait...that probably did happen._ Bex thought to herself.

"He knows some things about the Circle that can help us," Grant explained. "That can help us get...Cammie back."

"I don't need him to tell me that information," Zach retorted.

"Zach, come on," Bex rolled her eyes. "Look, Townsend didn't mean what he did. He was just trying to—"

"Here, let me try," Townsend interrupted Bex and stepped up to the door. "Zach, I know you're upset about what happened to Cammie. We all are. I know how much she meant to you, and I understand why you're acting like this. She was the reason you got out of bed every morning to face the world instead of staying in bed the entire day. She was the one to make you smile, to brighten up a world filled with darkness brought by your mother.

"I do admit that I was connected with Catherine romantically at one point in my life. Being with her was probably the worst decision I ever made. She drew me into her trap then, and she drew me into her trap now. I was stupid and foolish enough to follow her and not realize that she was taking advantage of me. And now that Cammie is gone, I want nothing but revenge and your girlfriend back, safe and sound. I would know the feeling; the same thing happened to me when Abby supposedly died from the house fire. I felt like I was broken inside, like nothing would ever make me feel happy again. Cammie doesn't deserve to be hurt because of my actions, and I take full responsibility of that. I will do everything in my power to get her back, but I will need your help to do so." He paused. "So, are you with me or not?"

The next minute was again pure silence. Bex bit her lip anxiously and right about when she felt like breaking down the door right then and there, Zach unlocked the keyhole and turned the knob.

"Come in," he stepped back and kept his eyes on the ground, not meeting the eyes of any of his guests.

Bex walked in and took a look around the room. It was a complete mess. There were clothes, empty bottles, and papers lying all over the floor. Bex carefully manuevered through the room, trying not to step on anything. She reached his couch but then decided not to sit as she couldn't even see the cushion underneath the pile of trash.

"Here," Zach took a broom from his closet and started sweeping all the junk on the floor to a corner in the room. He also took everything on his couch and other armchairs and dumped them into a pile in the same corner.

Bex just nodded and took a seat with Grant and Townsend. Zach just lounged onto one of the arm chairs with a beer bottle in his hand.

"Zach," Bex frowned. "How much have you been drinking lately?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Grant said under his breath, but loud enough so Bex could hear him.

"Why does it matter?" Zach finally lifted his face up to meet the rest of them. His cheeks were hollow, he hadn't shaved in a while, his eyes were lifeless, with dark circles underneath them, his posture was ailing, and his frame seemed thin and sickly.

"Zach, you need to stop living like this," Bex stood up and tried to take the bottle out of Zach's hand. He jerked it away and glared at Bex.

"Don't give me lessons on how I should be living my life," he hissed. "You have no idea what it's like—to lose the love of your life. Cammie was my everything."

"I do know what it's like," Bex said harshly. "She wasn't just your girlfriend, she was my best friend as well. And I love her the same amount that you do. It breaks my heart every time I think about her," she gave Zach a stern look. "But I haven't drowned myself in sorrow because she's still alive, if you haven't forgotten. And I have hope that I will see her again." She grabbed the bottle and tossed it aside. "And you should, too. Because not having hope and living like this," she spread her arms wide. "It's destroying you. And I'm positive Cammie doesn't want that."

Zach held her gaze but then relaxed. "You're right. I'm sorry," he looked down.

"It's okay," Bex smiled encouragingly. "But we really do need your help."

"What do you have in mind?" Zach looked at the rest of the group.

"Well, I'm guessing that Catherine has taken Cammie up to _Cavan_. If we were to get to her, we would have to have someone on the inside let us in," Townsend explained.

"Which won't work; we don't have anyone on the inside," Bex pointed out. "That led us to decide—"

"Well, what if we sent someone up there to be the insider?" Zach interrupted. "Does the Circle have anyone go in or out through _Cavan_?"

"Exactly our point," Townsend said. "They have a delivery service that leaves Cavan every morning at 6 o'clock. They deliver the food to each of the villages and then go back to Cavan at 8 o'clock."

"So we disguise someone as a worker of the delivery service and send them up to _Cavan_. Once they've gotten past security and are inside, they can open up another exit on the ship to let the rest of the Outlanders—who will be waiting here in Blackthorne—in. Then we can extract Cammie and then come back down here."

"Isn't it bloody brilliant?" Bex grinned to Zach. She turned back to Townsend and asked, "But do you think it'll work?"

"Most likely," Townsend nodded. "Of course, we'd need to get rid of the kinks and work out the details, but I think it will work."

"Perfect," Bex jumped up. "Let's get this over to Joe and see what he has to say." She walked to the door and Grant followed her.

Townsend stayed behind and placed a hand on Zach's shoulder. "We'll get her back, I promise." Zach nodded and joined the trio outside.

Bex couldn't help but feel ecstatic at the new circumstance. _We're coming for you Cammie._

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

"It's a good idea," Joe nodded. He was in his office, facing Bex, Grant, Zach, Townsend, and he had called in Liz, Jonas, Macey, Abby, Patricia, Mr. Mosckowitz and Mr. Smith to be a part of the conversation. "But while we're there, we should also try to kill Catherine, and rescue Rachel and Josh."

"Oh come on," Zach threw his hands up in the air. "Are we seriously back to this?"

"You knew that this would come up again sooner or later," Joe pointed out. "So what we're going to do is train the hell of our soldiers and other students here at Blackthorne in order for this rescue mission to happen. Once we get into _Cavan_, we'll have a team to extract Cammie, a team to extract Rachel, a team to extract Josh, a team assigned to assassinate Catherine, and finally a team assigned to destroy the super soldier serums. Once all of these actions have been accomplished, we will evacuate everyone off the ship and down to Blackthorne. Sounds good?"

The group nodded and Townsend spoke up. "We'll need to hurry, though, so we can get to _Cavan_ before Catherine starts injecting the Circle members with super soldier serum."

"Hopefully Cammie will hold out long enough for us to get ready," Macey said, reciprocating the thought that was going through everyone's minds.

"She'll be able to do it," Joe assured. "She's strong enough to handle this." He scanned the group and started pairing them off into groups.

"Zach, Bex, you'll be assigned to extract Cammie. Townsend, you won't have to stay in your cell the next few days, and you'll be joining Abby and Smith to assassinate Catherine. Grant and I will retrieve Rachel. Macey and some other Blackthorne students will be extracting Josh. Half of the soldiers will be be destroying the serums and the other half will be there as backup in case anything goes wrong. Jonas and Mosckowitz, you'll be trying to hack into the _Cavan's _system to give us access to entries, exits, and any other technology on the ship. Liz and Patricia will stay behind along with some other teachers to take care of the younger students here in Blackthorne. Is everyone clear on what's going on?"

The crowd murmured a yes, and Joe smiled grimly. "Then let's get to it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yaaaaasssss, the Outlander spirit is back on. And Zammie shall prevail! :)**

**And if anyone is confused**—**Zach's still alive and well in Blackthorne. As mentioned, Catherine just used a dummy and pretended that she killed her son in front of Cammie. I'm sorry if anyone got scared for a second :)**

**_Another disclaimer that I realize I should have put out earlier in the story: I used the word 'god' once or twice in this chapter and various other times in this story. I just want to let you all now that I don't necessarily mean a "superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity" (as Google put it) or anything, I'm just saying the word 'god' as an exclamation to "express emotions such as surprise, anger, or distress" (again, courtesy of Google) So if anyone is offended or thinks I'm favoring one religion over the other or whatever_**—**_I'm not. Thanks for understanding :)_**

**Once again thank you so much for the support, I love you all so much :)**

**natureis2love: **Thank you, I think you're really amazing as well :) I hope you liked this chapter!

**zammieandjackunzel4evaderp: **First of all, your username's pretty rad :) Second of all, thank you! And lastly, sorry, juggling school and extra curricluars can get a little out of hand at times, but I try my best. I hope you liked this update :)

**miaadventure: **Thanks; your writing is pretty amazing as well :) I hoped you like this chapter, and I hope you didn't feel _too_ bad about the depressed version of Zach :)

**BooksLover200: **Oh honey...there's so much more to come... XD

**Tennage Gallagher Girl Spy:** Thank you :) I really want you to find out what's going to happen next! Don't worry, everything will work out between Townsend and Zach eventually. And hahaa, yeah, nobody's touching Cammie after this :D

**Guest:** Wow, this is so sweet :) I love having readers like you, and I'm flattered at how attached you are to the story. Thank you so much for your support :) I hope you like this chapter!

**Magic-of-writing: **Well, when you say it like that, I start regretting ever having Zach be that depressed :) Haha, thanks for reviewing!

**Also, check out the new cover art for Chameleon! I finally decided to get rid of the image I chose beforehand and I came up with something a little more suitable for the story. To break the picture down, on the right, the four girls are Liz, Bex, Cammie, and Macey. In the middle is Jonas, Zach, and Grant. And on the very left is none other than Miss Catherine Goode :)**

**Okay, that's all I have for today. Remember to review/PM/follow/favorite. Also, leave a review or PM me if you like the new cover art. Thanks for everything, and hopefully I'll stay alive for you guys until Chapter 26 :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey guys; welcome back. Today's chapter is going to be focused mainly on the Outlanders training for their rescue mission and you'll get to read about how Cammie's dealing with the supposed death of Zach. Have fun reading :)**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

**Zach POV**

Even after spending all day planning evacuation routes and attack strategies, Zach was beginning to feel more anticipated. He was extremely desperate for this mission to happen; he could get Cammie back and all his worries would go away.

"So should we stick to the four by four method?" Joe asked, yawning. It was late at night, and Zach, Abby and Joe were sitting in Joe's office, trying to finish all the details so that they could get the mission done as soon as possible.

Zach nodded, chewing the end of his pencil. "Yeah, then they can stick in pairs of two and cover for each other."

"Okay," Joe quickly jotted that down. "I think we should leave it here for now, we can get back to this later."

"But—" Zach protested.

"Hey, you need to get some rest," Abby stressed. "By the looks of it, you haven't slept for days."

He sighed and eventually nodded. "Sure. But I'm coming back here at the first light of dawn."

"Zach," Abby gave him a look.

"Fine, I'll come when you guys are ready."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Bex POV<strong>

"Hustle, hustle!" Bex shouted the next morning at the top of her lungs. She was currently training a group of soldiers through a course so they would be prepared for the mission. The course included several different activities including rope climbing, sparring, going through a small maze of lasers, target practice with guns and knives, and performing medical aid in case one of the soldier's team members was injured. Joe had left specific instructions that on the mission, no one was going to die. It was certainly a high goal, but with the amount of training the Outlanders were going through, Bex was confident everything was going to be fine.

"Tina, I want to see more attacking, less defending!" Bex called out to the girl, who was sparring on a mat with Mick Morrison.

"Hey," someone walked up from behind Bex. She turned around and saw Grant smiling at her. "Shouldn't you be joining them as well?"

"Are you underestimating me?" Bex gave him a look and crossed her arms.

"Well, I'm just saying that—" Grant started, but within seconds, he was on the ground with Bex kneeling on top of him with her hand to his throat.

"Think I still need training?" Bex smirked.

"No, no, not at all," Grant said with a gulp.

Bex grinned and held out a hand to pull him up. She checked her internal clock and realized that there were only a few hours to lunch, so they needed to move on with the course.

"All right, guys! Let's stop for a second!" She yelled and everyone turned to face her. "We are going to end this course here and move onto the next. The new one will be a series of simulations in which you will be running with your team to perform the tasks that Joe has assigned. For example, the group that extracting Josh—I believe it's the elite team with Macey?"

The crowd murmured in agreement and Bex continued on. "So you guys will go through a simulation in which you will be extracting a proxy posing as Josh on a make-believe _Cavan_. There will be holograms of Circle soldiers and other obstacles in the simulation just like there will be in the real mission. Some of you will be dressed as Circle agents, and some of you won't. It all depends on your mission. Your job is to complete your mission correctly without anything going wrong or anyone getting injured. You will have 30 minutes to complete each task. If your teams fails to complete this simulation in any way..." she paused and glanced around the room. "Well, you'll probably wind up dead on _Cavan_. And we don't want that. Understand?"

"Yeah," the group of Outlanders nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's take a trip to the simulation room. The others who are not currently training with us will meet us there."

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe had finished his run through the simulation not too long ago; and to his delight, things had gone pretty well. He and Grant were assigned to retrieve Rachel, and Bex had served as the proxy. They extraction was smooth and easy, without anyone realizing that Rachel was gone.

"How'd you feel?" Joe asked Grant, who was sitting next to him.

"Awesome," Grant nodded. "This mission will be a breeze."

"Glad to hear it," Joe clapped Grant on the back and stood up, walking over to Bex. She was monitoring the next group's simulation—a group of soldiers who were destroying the super soldier serums in the Circle's labs.

"Everything going okay?" Joe asked, looking at the screen. The soldiers seemed to be working efficiently, taking the tubes and draining the contents into a small container that would take away all the chemical properties of the liquid—the device being designed by Liz and Dr. Fibbs.

"Yeah, everything's good," Bex nodded. She smiled as the soldiers emptied the last of the serums and made their way to the exit. A loud sound blared through the speakers, signaling the end of the simulation. "And simulation #3 is a success." She switched off the simulation and the soldiers inside were soon surrounded by the gray walls instead of _Cavan_.

"Great," Joe smiled. The simulations were going really well so far, which made Joe even more confident for the real mission. "Who's up next?"

"Bex and I are."

Joe turned and spotted Zach standing at the entrance of the control room, wearing a Circle agent costume. He and Bex would be posing as agents so they could go about unnoticed. Underneath their clothes, though, were their Outlander suits and their mask, plus several weapons.

"Macey's going to be proxying as Cammie," Zach tossed her a gun, and inserted a round of bullets into his. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Bex grinned and Grant gave her a kiss on the head.

"Good luck in there," Joe said, speaking for both of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach took a deep breath as Joe started the simulation. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was standing in a large hangar with an Outlander plane parked a couple of feet away from him.

"Come on," Bex said from his right. He turned and spotted her heading towards a door that looked like an elevator. She pressed the waiting button and within seconds, the elevator opened.

"Please scan your fingerprints," the intercom spoke out loud. Bex gave Zach a questioning look.

"Just try it," Zach gestured. Bex hesitantly placed her hand on the designated panel and it flashed green.

"Welcome, Rebecca Baxter," the intercom replied. Zach's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I guess by this time Mr. Mosckowitz's breached the security system and given all of us clearance," Bex suggested.

"Probably," Zach scanned his hands and the panel flashed green as well. They got onto the elevator and were met with a series of buttons.

"Townsend said to press 13," Zach supplied. "That's where most of the prisoners are kept."

Bex obeyed and soon they were rising up, traveling towards Cammie. Or, in this case, Macey.

As the elevator slowed to a stop, Zach stuffed his gun into his back pocket and straightened his tie. The doors opened and they stepped out, walking briskly down the long hallway that the elevator dropped them off at. On their way, several other Circle agents passed by, not giving a second glance to Bex and Zach. Zach felt his heart thump louder and faster as they neared the section of the ship that Townsend had instructed them to go to.

Zach looked to his right and spotted a sign with the words "Detention Center" on them. He signaled Bex to follow him. Bex listened and stuck right on Zach's tail. They reached a big circular room which required them to scan their fingerprints again to let them enter. As they did so Zach and Bex spotted numerous cells surrounding them. Zach swiveled around and laid his eyes on a cell with the words "Cameron Morgan" on it.

"There," he pointed and hurried over to Cammie's cell, scanning his hand on the panel next to the door. He held the door open for Bex and followed her through the doorway.

Zach looked around and saw nothing but a small bed with a pillow and thin, worn out blanket and a chair. In the corner of the room, he saw a female figure huddled in the corner, and he made his way to her.

But something made him stop. Maybe it was because the girl had light brown hair and pale blue eyes. Maybe it was because she looked exactly like—

"Cammie?" Zach breathed. He walked closer and knelt down, reaching his hand out to caress her face.

"Dude, chill," Cammie swatted his hand away and stood up. She stared at Zach for a minute and then her image rippled, morphing into a tall girl with dark wavy hair and a nose piercing.

Macey stood before him, hands on her hips. "It's just me."

"Uh..." Zach rose, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I thought—"

"Yeah, yeah," Macey cut in. "I was wearing Cammie's mask. Just thought it would make the mission seem a little bit more real."

"Right," Zach nodded.

"Um, sorry to interrupt this," Bex came up to them. "But if you guys don't remember, we still need to get 'Cammie' out of here safely."

"Let's go," Macey and Bex left the cell, leaving Zach standing alone in the room. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Just the glimpse of Macey as Cammie had made his heart ache. For a second, he had been so close to getting his Gallagher Girl back. But alas, she was taken away from him again.

"You coming, Zach?" Bex peeked her head back into the cell.

"Yeah," Zach jogged after her, catching up with Macey. Right as she reached for the door that would lead them back to the Main Hall, Zach suddenly realized that she looked like, well, Macey. Meaning she was wearing prisoner clothes, and not a the typical uniform of a Circle agent.

"Wait!" he yelled, but it was too late. Macey had opened the door and was standing in the middle of the hallway, amidst the crowd of Circle agents walking by. In a heartbeat, the agents had pulled out their guns and were aiming them at Macey. She froze, giving Zach and Bex, who were huddled in the Detention Center, a worried look.

One of the agents followed Macey's gaze and spotted Bex and Zach. He pulled his gun on the two, and some of the other agents followed.

"On your knees, now!" one of the agents yelled. Zach and Bex glanced at each other and Zach spoke.

"On my count. One, two, three!" he and Bex burst through the doorway and started shooting the agents down. Zach saw one of the agents reach out to the alarm button on the wall. Before Zach shot him, the agent had pressed the button and an alarm starting wailing through the ship.

"We need to move, now!" Zach reached into his back pocket and pulled out an extra handgun, tossing it to Macey. The three of them raced down the hallway, taking down any Circle agents they encountered on the way.

When they reached the elevator, Bex stabbed the waiting button numerous times, while Zach and Macey covered for her. After a couple of seconds, the elevator arrived, and the teens scanned their fingerprints. They went inside the elevator, shooting bullets until the doors came to a close.

"Hangar Bay," Zach ordered, and Macey pressed the floor button. The elevator descended quickly, and when it came to a stop, Zach, Bex, and Macey sprinted towards the Outlander plane. They got on and Zach threw himself into the pilot's seat, lifting the vehicle up and out of the hangar door. He flew away, and directed the plane to Blackthorne.

As he steered the ship, _Cavan_ suddenly exploded from behind them.

"What the hell was that?" Bex looked back at the ball of flames behind them. The Circle ship was destroyed, and the smoke was starting to fill the sky. Zach stared with confusion as the debris flew down to the earth.

"Did we do something?" Macey asked.

"I don't know," Zach replied, shaking his head. "But I'll ask Joe once we're done with the simulation."

"Well, other than that unexpected turn of events," Bex turned around from the viewing window to face Zach. "We completed our mission—we got Cammie back."

Zach smiled and slowly the graphics surrounding him disappeared. Instead of standing on a plane, he was standing in the simulation room, with Joe looking at them from the control room.

"Good job, guys," Joe spoke through the intercom. "But Macey, make sure you don't compromise your team's cover with something so easy as walking about in prisoner clothes."

"Sorry," Macey said sheepishly.

"Joe?" Zach walked forward. "Um, after we were flying back from _Cavan_, it kinda...exploded..."

"Yeah, new change of plans," Joe said. "We're going to have a team there plant some bombs so that _Cavan_ is no more. I can't risk having Circle agents being alive, even if Catherine is dead."

"Oh, okay," Zach nodded.

"Anyways, your team handled your mission well," Joe said. "You guys can leave now; I'll send in the next group."

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

After lunch, all the students and soldiers were give the day off, so they could rest for tomorrow. Zach, Bex, Grant, Macey, Jonas, Abby, Mr. Mosckowitz, and Townsend were all gathered in Joe's office for a quick word before he sent them off as well.

"Okay, so I realized today that every single person in here has already been assigned to the mission, and that won't help our plans," Joe started.

"What do you mean?" Bex frowned.

"Well, Townsend had told us that in order to get to _Cavan_ in the first place, we would have to have an Outlander sitting in a Circle delivery plane, and go up to _Cavan_ disguised as a food deliverer. That's the only way we can let the rest of the Outlanders inside."

"Oh, right," Grant nodded. "So who's going to be doing that?"

Right at that moment, the door opened and Preston peeked his head into Joe's office. "Uh, Joe, you called me?"

"Preston," Joe smiled tightly and gestured for him to come closer. "You came just in time."

"Wait, _he's_ going to be driving the food delivery plane?" Zach asked in disbelief. "No offense, but I don't think he's really cut out for that—"

"What do you mean? Preston's perfectly capable of doing such a thing," Macey shot back. "He's been taking classes for several months now, so he's got a good amount of training."

"Exactly, several months! There are younger students who have been here at Blackthorne for a lot longer! He's nowhere as trained as those kids, let alone us," Zach protested.

"Guys, I'm right here," Preston raised his hands up in defense.

"Macey's right," Abby interrupted, ending the argument. "I think Preston can handle this mission."

"Okay," Joe nodded and faced Preston. "So here's what you're going to have to do. Tomorrow morning, Preston, Mr. Mosckowitz, Jonas, and I are going to be heading off to one of the villages to intercept a Circle food delivery plane. Right when the plane is about to leave back for _Cavan_, you're going to knock out the driver, take his uniform, and get on the plane. Harvey and Jonas will join you, and I'll stay behind.

"Now, Townsend's informed us that when the food deliverers come back to _Cavan_, they are able to enter the hanger via voice recognition. Obviously, you won't have the same voice as the driver, so that won't work. Which is why Jonas and Mr. Mosckowitz came up with a device that can alter your voice to any person you want. You can collect that from them later. You'll use the voice alterer, the Circle will let you onto the ship, and then the three of you guys will get dressed into maintenance workers' costume, which we'll give you.

"Dressed as maintenance workers, you are all going to head over to Hangar Bay E3, okay? Remember that, E3. Harvey will disable all the security feed from that hangar so that all the other Outlander planes can fly in there from Blackthorne. Once we get the planes on, we can get the missions up and running. We'll do a simulation later in the day so you're prepared. Sound's good?" Joe looked at the three of them.

"Sounds great," Mr. Mosckowitz answered.

"Awesome," Joe nodded and looked at the rest of the group. "You guys are all dismissed. Jonas, Preston, and Harvey, you'll meet me back here at 5 o'clock. The rest of you, get some sleep; we're going to be up early tomorrow."

Everyone filed out of the room, but Zach stayed behind. "Thank you for doing this," he said. "It means a lot."

"Don't worry about it," Joe smiled and placed his hand on Zach's shoulder. "We all just want Cammie back."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

There was never really a point in Cammie's life where she felt so depressed and empty. She had always been a generally happy person, if not a little stubborn. All that changed the minute Catherine killed Zach.

_It's amazing what how your loved ones can make you feel,_ Cammie thought. She gave a hollow laugh and leaned her head against the cold, steel wall behind her. She had been released of her chains and was now free to roam around her cell. But the past few days, Cammie had stayed in the one corner of her room, not eating, not sleeping, for days. What was the point? She didn't have anyone to live for anymore, not after Zach.

The door to her cell opened and Catherine walked in. She scoffed at Cammie's state and took a seat next to her.

"Never thought I'd see a Morgan sitting alone in defeat like this," Catherine smiled. "Oh wait, I forgot. I have seen one. Your mother."

Cammie bit her lip and tried to shut out Catherine's comment. "You can say whatever you want, it won't affect me anymore," She gave a sidelong glance to Catherine. "I already hate you."

Catherine gave her a look. "Fair enough." She stood up and dusted herself off. "Would you like to tell me the names, now?"

"Fine, whatever," Cammie also stood up. "Let's just get this over with."

"Wait, wh-...what?" Catherine eyes widened with surprise and she took a step back. "You're going to give me the names?"

"Yes," Cammie shrugged carelessly. "You've already taken the love of my life away, so there's no point in me making it out of here alive and going back to the Outlanders." Her eyes drifted to the floor. "There's no one left there for me."

"But—your friends...Joe, Abby, Townsend—"

"They could never be as close to me as Zach was," Cammie snapped. "If you think that I have more to live for than Zach, you're wrong!" she screamed at Catherine. "He was my everything. And you took him away from me!" She broke down sobbing, sinking to the floor and holding her head in her hands.

"He's gone, he's gone, he's really gone," she wept, rocking back and forth.

"Cameron," Catherine knelt down and placed her hand on Cammie's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Cammie jerked away and sniffled loudly.

"I-I'm sorry," Catherine frowned slightly. "But if you don't mind, I'd really like those names now."

"Seriously?" Cammie shook her head and brushed her tears away from her face. "You're always thinking about yourself," she paused and rubbed her eyes again. "Do you have a pen and paper on you?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: El Fin :) For now, of course. I can't wait for you to read about the actual mission (which takes place in Chapter 27) :). Hope you guys enjoyed!**

**And can I just say that I have the coolest readers ever! I got so much appreciation from you guys and I feel so lucky to have readers as wonderful as all of you :) Thank you so much!**

**Tennage Gallagher Girl: **Thank you :) Yeah, so about that, the human body drastically depends on its windpipe to deploy oxygen to your heart and the rest of your body, so the second that your throat's cut, you immediately die...Sorry that was a bit gruesome. And, hahaa yeah, I actually want to Cammie to figure out that Zach isn't dead another way, so you'll see how that plays out :) I hope today's chapter answered some of your questions, nevertheless :) Thanks for being an awesome reviewer the past few weeks!

**zammiandjackunzel4evaderp: **Thank you so much! I'm glad that you got to go on this journey with me :) Here's another shoutout for you, and I hope you liked this update!

**Frosted Rock: **Hahaa, sorry about that :) I hope this chapter calmed you at least a little bit :) Thank you for reviewing!

**miaadventure:** No problem; I really must thank you for all your support. You've been one of my top reviewers since February, so I really appreciate all you do. I hope you liked this update! Thanks, once again :)

**SKyeGOode:** Thank you! I'm so happy you love this story. Hopefully you liked this chapter :)

**Guest: **Thank you so much! Wow, the effort you put into reading this story is amazing :) I hoped you liked this update!

**Guest: **This is so flattering, you are too kind :) And I'm sure you are a wonderful writer! Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you are enjoying this story!

**Alisha:** Awww, you're pretty amazing as well. This comment is so sweet and makes me feel all warm and fluttery inside. I could only ever hope to inspire people with my writing, and the fact that I already did so for you is gratifying. And I'm actually not quite sure if I would write a sequel. Honestly, it hasn't really crossed my mind yet. Do you have any ideas for a sequel? I'd love to hear them :) Thank you so much; I hope you liked this chapter!

**PLLandGG:** You're so nice! Thank you for this review, it made my day :) I really appreciate your support and I hoped this chapter lived up to your expectations!

**Don't forget to PM/REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE :) Thanks so much, and I'll see you guys at Chapter 27! **

**~bookwormbullet**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all the amazing reception I got from the last chapter! I feel so happy that you guys have so much kindness and warmth for this story, and I am so lucky to have readers as wonderful as you are :) That inspired me to write an action-packed chapter, so here you guys go, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls series.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

**Preston POV**

Preston had never, ever, been on a 'real' mission before, so by the time he was up and getting ready to leave Blackthorne with Joe, Mr. Mosckowitz, and Jonas, his heart was racing.

"Do you have your comms unit?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," Preston reached up to his ear and touched the tiny device to turn it on. He glanced at Jonas and Mr. Mosckowitz, and noticed that they both looked equally as nervous as he was.

"And the maintenance worker's clothes—you have those, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, let's go then," Joe instructed, leaving towards in direction of the garage, where all the Outlander vehicles were parked. Preston, Jonas, and Mr. Mosckowitz hesitantly followed him. As they were about to step into the elevator and head up to the surface floor, someone came running towards the group, calling out Preston's name.

He turned, spotting Macey, hair flowing out from behind her. She stopped in front of him, panting slightly and gave him a tight hug.

"Stay safe, okay?" she said, pulling back and looking into his eyes.

"Yeah," Preston nodded and grasped her hands.

"You have to come back to me, in one piece," Macey smiled weakly.

"I will," Preston assured her. "Make sure you stay safe too. If anything happens when you're on that ship, contact me."

"Of course," Macey leaned in and captured Preston's mouth with hers. "I love you."

"Love you too," Preston mumbled against her lips. From the elevator, he heard Joe clear his throat awkwardly. Preston broke away from Macey and gave her a nudge. "Don't worry about me; I'll be fine."

She nodded and watched as he joined the others in the elevator. The doors closed on Macey's worried face and Preston took a deep, shaky, breath._ Here goes nothing._

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach checked his comms unit for the 10th time and fiddled with his gun. He glanced over at Bex who was pacing back and forth. Preston had left for _Cavan_ several hours ago, which meant Joe would come in calling Zach and Bex soon. They were all ready for the mission—both teens were wearing Circle uniforms and had some recognizable facial features removed. Zach's green eyes were replaced with brown colored contacts and he had dirty blond hair. Bex was wearing a wig which was a light brown instead of her regular dark color, and her hair was pinned back into a bun.

"How are you feeling?" Zach asked Bex.

She looked up and gave him a weak smile. "To be honest, I'm pretty nervous."

"Rebecca Baxter? Nervous?" Zach gave a mock look of shock. "I'd never imagine it."

Bex gave a small laugh, running the hands through her hair. "Yeah...I just want Cammie to be home safe, you know?"

"Trust me, I do too," Zach gave her a sympathizing look. The door opened, and Joe walked in, looking back and forth between the two teens.

"It's time," he said. Zach and Bex didn't say a word, but immediately left the room, following Joe to the hangar. On the way, Joe informed them on the Outlander's update.

"There's been a change of plans," Joe said. "Macey's going with Grant to get Josh and I'll be going with Abby and Townsend to first get Rachel and then go after Catherine."

"Okay," Zach nodded as they reached the hangar.

In the large room, people were running back and forth, shouting orders, and gearing up for the mission. Zach led Bex to their designated jet and they climbed in, strapping themselves up. A couple of mechanics and engineers were going about all the planes, checking the systems to make sure the jets wouldn't break down on anyone. Once Zach and Bex were checked and ready to go, Zach turned on the ignition. Joe, who was in his own jet with Abby and Townsend, spoke to Zach through the comms unit.

_"Be careful, Zach. Call me if anything happens."_

"I will," Zach said, and glanced over at Bex, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat. She looked a little tense, so Zach extended his arm out and rubbed her shoulder.

"Hey, we're going to get her back, okay?" he smiled in assurance. "And we're going to kick some a$$ while we're at it."

"Yeah," Bex nodded, her mouth breaking into a small smile.

Zach turned face back to the front and turned on the engine of the plane. An attendant on the runway outside signaled to Zach that he was clear for takeoff. Zach steered the plane forward as the hangar door opened. He moved the plane outside, and then lifted it up and off of the ground, with all the other Outlander planes following.

Jonas had designed a cloaking device on the Outlander planes that would prevent anyone to physically see the plane from the ground and also prevent anyone from seeing the plane on a radar. Zach now turned on this feature and soon the plane was hidden away in the sky. As Zach went closer and closer to _Cavan_, he held his breath, waiting for the Circle to realize that there were intruders entering their airspace.

_Your cloaking device better work, Jonas,_ Zach thought anxiously. To his luck, when the Outlander planes neared _Cavan, _the Circle didn't seem to realize that they were there. Zach scanned the walls of the big ship, looking for Hangar E3. Once he found the hangar door wide open, he entered the ship and landed the plane.

Zach and Bex unbuckled and slowly got out of the plane, only to be greeted by Preston, Jonas, and Mr. Mosckowitz. The rest of the Outlanders had also parked their planes and were exiting them. Preston spotted Macey and ran over to greet her.

"You guys made it," Jonas walked towards Zach and Bex, smiling. "We're all set up to go. Mr. Mosckowitz infiltrated the security system, gave us all clearance, blocked the security cameras, and the Circle hasn't even realized it."

"Awesome," Zach grinned. He gestured to Bex and nodded towards the door that led away from the hangar. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh," Bex took a deep breath and followed Zach out the door. The interior of Cavan looked exactly like the simulation room had displayed it. Zach and Bex took the same turns to get to the elevator, and they climbed the same amount of flights to get to the floor where the Detention Center was, where Cammie was supposedly being held. They walked down the same hallway, and none of the other Circle members paid any special attention to them.

Zach kept an eye on the signs on the doors, and when he spotted the words "Detention Center," he slowed to a stop. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he and Bex slipped inside the room. Zach started walking to the cells, and he began to go faster and faster as he neared Cammie. When he reached her cell, he traced his fingers on the engraved letters of Cammie's name on her plaque. Staring anxiously inside, he released a shaky breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding—all because he saw Cammie sleeping peacefully on the small bed off to the side of the cell.

"She's in there," Zach told Bex, hurriedly scanning his fingerprints to open the door. He burst in and ran over to Cammie.

"Gallagher Girl?" He reached out and brushed the hair away from her face. "Gallagher Girl, wake up."

"Zach..." Cammie mumbled and rolled over to the other side.

Zach gave Bex an odd look and turned back to Cammie. "No, Gallagher Girl, you need to wake up. We need to get you out of here."

Cammie rolled back over to Zach and Bex and rubbed her eyes. "What's going on?" she yawned and peered at Zach. Her eyes widened and she sat up suddenly.

"Who are you?" she asked, staring at Zach through narrowed eyes.

Zach frowned and suddenly realized that it was his disguise that was confusing Cammie. "Cammie, it's me," He hurriedly pulled his wig off, revealing his usual dark brown hair.

"Zach?" Cammie looked at him in awe, her jaw dropping slightly. "How are you alive? I thought that Catherine killed you...I saw her take the knife...This is a dream, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about? This isn't a dream," Zach said with a concerned voice.

"No, Zach. You're supposed to be dead. Catherine killed you," Cammie shook her head, inching away from Zach. "She killed you right in front of me. _Get out of my head._"

"Gallagher Girl, I'm right here," Zach reached out to her but Cammie pushed him away.

"Go away!" She shouted, backing up against the wall. "Get out of my head!"

"Cammie, what's wrong?" This time Bex came forward.

"Bex?" Cammie breathed, but she still continued on. "No, no, no. I don't believe you. What did you guys put in me?" she walked up to the door of the cell and pounded on it. "Was it some kind of drug that would make me delusional? Am under some kind of simulation? Is Dr. Sanders prying into my brain right now?"

"What is she talking about?" Bex whispered to Zach.

"I don't know," Zach said, bewildered. "She's having some sort of anxiety attack...I think the Circle did something to her—" he stopped, unable to finish his thought. "Gallagher Girl, you need to calm down. You're not dreaming. Bex and I are real. We're right here."

"How do I know that my mind isn't playing tricks on me?" Cammie asked.

Zach thought for a moment, and then came forward, kissing Cammie fiercely. "Because I love you, and I'd never leave you in the face of danger. Especially not in the Circle's hands."

Cammie's breath hitched as Zach's lips touched hers again and afterwards she looked up at Zach, eyes glinting with tears. "Zach...B-but I saw Catherine kill you—"

"Whatever you saw—whatever Catherine did to make you believe that I was did," Zach assured her. "It was fake. She tricked you. She lied; it's what she does."

Cammie held Zach's gaze and the distraught slowly faded, her expression softening. "It's you...you're real."

"I am," Zach smiled encouragingly. "I'd almost given up hope," he pushed a lock of hair behind Cammie's ear. "I missed you like crazy. And now you're here, standing right in front of me."

"I—I thought I'd never see you again," Cammie's voice broke and she threw her arms around Zach. "You came back for me, you came back," she said repeatedly.

"Well, it was all thanks to Bex," Zach smiled and stepped to the side, revealing the girl, who was leaning against the doorway. Cammie gave her a small smile and flinched when Bex came up and gave her a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you, Cam," Bex said, crying tears of joy. "We missed you so much." She stepped back and Cammie gave her a smile.

Cammie merely nodded and hastily brushed at her own wet eyes.

Bex sniffled and took Cammie's hands in hers. "Did the Circle hurt you or anything?"

"No," Cammie said softly. "Nothing I couldn't stand."

"Good," Bex squeezed Cammie's hands. "We should go; we don't have all day."

"She's right," Zach came forward and handed her Chameleon mask. "You need to wear this. The Circle hasn't really seen much of Bex and I, but they've all seen you. Which means they'd be able to recognized you within seconds. So you need to change your appearance into a Circle agent that you've seen around while you were here."

"Okay," Cammie said, putting the mask on gently. She closed her eyes and her appearance rippled. Cammie changed into a slender girl with curly blonde ringlets with bright blue eyes. "There's an agent named Jennifer who comes to check in on me every day," she explained. "How are we going to get out of _Cavan_? Are there other Outlanders here?"

Bex quickly explained the plan and Zach stepped away, placing his wig carefully back on his head. He also called Joe to inform him on their status. "Joe, we have Cammie. She's safe with us now."

_"How is she doing?"_ Joe asked.

"She seemed traumatized at first," Zach said. "Something big happened here when she was held captive. I'll tell you about it when we're done."

_"All right,"_ Joe replied. _"Take it easy on her, and get her out of here as quickly as possible. Abby, Townsend, and I are heading to Rachel right now." _

"Copy that," Zach answered, and told Bex and Cammie about his status. "Let's head out."

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

Joe was walking towards where Rachel was being held, according to Townsend's directions. They were also wearing Circle uniforms, and had different disguises. Townsend led Abby and Joe into a separate hallway, and stopped in front of a door on the right.

"She's in here," Townsend said, looking at Joe. He nodded and pressed his hand on the scanner. The door swung open and Joe cautiously entered, holding his breath, followed by Abby and Townsend. Sitting in the middle of the room, on a gurney, was Rachel, dressed in a white hospital gown. Her eyes were closed, and she looked calm and serene.

Joe exhaled softly and walked up to Rachel. He pressed his hand on her cheek and was surprised to see that it was cold.

"She looks just as I remember her," Townsend said. He stepped back to let Abby come forward. "It's your sister, Abby."

Abby nodded as one lone tear rolled down her face. She held Rachel's hand. "Is she asleep?"

"I don't know," Joe asked, checking for a pulse. "She's alive...but I think she's unconscious." To prove his point, he tried waking her up but Rachel didn't respond. "Let me call Liz to see how to get her awake." He rang for Liz in his comms unit, and to his relief, she responded.

"Liz, we found Rachel, but she's unconscious, and she's not waking up. What should we give her?"

_"Did you try calling her name, or using any CPR?"_ Liz asked.

"Well, she's breathing and her vitals are fine," Joe said. "I think she was put in an induced sleep."

_"The Circle probably gave her some Rohypnols or something,"_ Liz said. _"Um, do you see any adrenaline lying around?"_

Joe signaled to Abby and Townsend to start looking through the room. After a couple of minutes of pulling drawers and opening cabinets, Abby pulled out a small flask labeled ADRENALINE.

"Got it," Joe told Liz.

_"Okay, now pour exactly 1 mL of the adrenaline into a syringe. If you insert that syringe into Rachel and give her 30 pumps to the chest, she should awake."_

"All right, thanks," Joe found a syringe and took the exact amount of adrenaline. He walked over to Rachel and inserted the needle into her arm as Townsend performed the 30 pumps. Seconds later, Rachel gasped as her eyes flew open. She spotted the three Outlanders in the room, and was about to scream when Joe clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Rachel, it's me, Joe," he said. Rachel mumbled something against Joe's hand and he removed it slowly.

"Joe?" she asked and glanced over at Townsend. "Edward?" When her eyes fell on Abby, she looked curiously at her and let out a small sound of surprise. "No, it can't be..."

"Hey, sis," Abby smiled weakly.

"What? What's going on?" Rachel glanced between the three. She turned to Joe and gave him a one-over. "Joseph Solomon, is that really you?"

"The one and only," Joe gave an impish smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a surprised look.

"I'm getting you out of this place," Joe helped Rachel sit up.

Rachel looked at Townsend directly. "Is this one of the Circle's doings?"

Townsend shook his head. "I'm not a part of the Circle anymore. I joined the Outlanders again."

"How can they trust that you won't bail on them again?"

"I have my reasons," Townsend looked over at Abby and smiled, taking her hand in his.

"I can't believe this," Rachel said, shaking her head. "After a whole 14 years, I finally see a face I never thought I'd see again...How did you know I was alive?" she turned to Joe.

"Edward helped us out," Joe gestured to Townsend.

Rachel got out from the bed and gave Abby a curious look. "I hate to be blunt, but I thought you were dead. I even saw your body."

"That's what we all thought," Joe said. "But she's here, alive and well."

Abby suddenly took a step forward, engulfing Rachel in a hug. Rachel closed her eyes and held Abby tight.

"It's so good to see you again," she whispered.

"I feel the same way," Abby laughed and gave her a sweet smile.

"It's truly a miracle," Rachel gave Joe a grateful look. "Before we can celebrate though, I believe there was a rescue mission that needed to take place?"

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

As Zach, Bex, and Cammie were making their way back to Hangar E3, they encountered a Circle agent walking by in the opposite direction. He looked up as the three Outlanders passed him and he reached out to stop Cammie.

"Jennifer! Hey," the agent smiled and greeted Cammie, obviously mistaking her for the other Circle agent.

"Um...hi," Cammie said hesitantly.

"Where were you at breakfast today? I didn't see you," the Circle agent grasped Cammie's hands. "Being your boyfriend, I kinda expect to get a call or something from you saying that you won't be showing up."

"Sorry," Cammie said hurriedly and Zach gagged inside his mind. _Who would want a boyfriend that was that much of a douche?_

"It's okay," the Circle agent smiled and leaned in, giving Cammie a full on kiss. She squirmed underneath him and pulled away immediately.

"What's wrong?" the Circle agent frowned at her. Cammie didn't answer, but looked over at Zach, who had his fists clenched on his sides.

"Nothing, um," Cammie released her hands from his grip and started to back away. "I have to go..."

"Where?" the Circle agent reached for her again, but this time Zach cut in.

"Leave her alone," he said sternly, pulling Cammie to him.

"She's my girlfriend, I can do whatever I want with her," the Circle agent scowled, sneaking his arm around Cammie's waist. This time, Zach knocked his arm off of her.

"Who the hell are you anyway?" the Circle agent gave Zach an odd look. "Where's your ID?"

Zach didn't answer, and Cammie gave him a scared look.

"What's going on here?" the Circle agent looked at Cammie, asking for an explanation. "Are you cheating on me?"

"What? No!" Cammie exclaimed. "It's—"

"I'm calling Catherine," the Circle agent pulled out a walkie talkie out of his pocket.

"No!" Bex reached for the walkie talkie while Zach delivered a punch to the guy's face. He stumbled backwards, startled. "What the hell?!" He threw a punch back straight into Zach's face. They continued fighting each other, and soon the Circle agent was on the floor, unconscious, Zach staring down grimly at him.

"We need to leave, now," Bex said, as Zach and Cammie followed her. Bex looked at Zach's face and her eyes widened. "Zach, what happened to your contact?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your contact's gone...Your eye's green again."

"The guy must have taken it out while he punched me," Zach mumbled. He started walking and led Cammie and Bex to the hallway with the elevator on the other end. They were halfway down the hall when a woman with bright red hair rounded the corner ahead of them.

Zach and Bex saw her and faltered their steps in the middle of the corridor. Cammie looked up and took in a sharp breath once she realized who it was.

"It's Catherine," Zach said under his breath. "Don't attract her attention." The three Outlanders continued walking as if nothing happened. As they went past Catherine, she suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Where do you think you're going Zachy?" Catherine called out.

Zach stopped and immediately reached for Cammie's hand. He slowly turned around and faced his mother.

"Thought you could actually run away from me?" Catherine smiled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Go," Zach gritted his teeth and pushed Bex and Cammie towards the elevator him. "Take Cammie to E3, Bex."

"But—" Cammie protested.

"Go!" Zach shouted. "I'll take care of Catherine."

* * *

><p><strong>Macey POV<strong>

As Zach was dealing with Catherine, Macey had just reached the room where Josh was being held. She signaled to Grant to enter on her count. As the Outlander soldiers burst through the doors, they were met with an unwelcome sight. The room was a complete mess. Lab equipment was thrown around all over the place. There was broken glass and furniture was tossed over. But nevertheless, the room was empty.

Macey sighed and called Joe. "Joe, there's no sign of Josh," she said. "The room he's supposed to be in is empty, but it looks like there was a fight up in here; the place's complete destruction."

_"Okay,"_ Joe said over the comms unit. _"Come back E3, don't waste any more time."_

"Copy that," Macey gave Grant a shrug and ordered the soldiers to fall back. "Let's go, guys."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie and Bex were quickly making their way to E3 while trying not to look too conspicuous. The girls were in the elevator, descending to the floor where all the hangars were. Bex quickly called Joe on his comms to tell him what happened.

"Joe! What's your status?"

_"We just got Rachel, and we're heading out to find Catherine."_

"Yeah, about that," Bex said. "When we were taking Cammie back to E3, we ran into Catherine."

_"What?! Where are you guys now?"_

"I escaped with Cammie, but Zach's still back there with Catherine. I think they're in the hallway that leads out of the Detention Center."

_"Okay, take Cammie to E3. Abby, Townsend, Rachel, and I will find Zach and Catherine."_

"Roger that," Bex said and gave Cammie a reassuring smile. As the elevator doors opened, the girls came face to face with a group of Circle pilots.

"Hey, field agents aren't supposed to be down here," one of the pilots said.

"Too bad," Bex said, punching the guy and knocking him out seconds later. The other pilots looked at Bex astoundingly and then ran up to her and Cammie. Bex jumped in front of Cammie, trying to fend off the group of guys. Cammie scooted off to the side, too scared to fight. Bex looked over from her fight and saw Cammie standing alone.

"Cam! Go find the Hangar E3! The other Outlanders are there!"

Cammie nodded and ran off along the curved corridor. On the wall, there were panels with big yellow letters showing the hangar names.

"A4, A5, B1, B2, B3," Cammie murmured as she looked for E3. Right as she passed Hangar C4, the hangar door opened with a loud whirring noise. Cammie jumped back, startled, and stared in shock at the figure standing behind the door.

"Hey, Cammie," Josh said, grinning. "Miss me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Honestly, writing cliffys are the best :D Hahaa anyways, how'd you like it? Tell me what the best part of this chapter was!**

**miaadventure:** Haha, yeah I felt bad writing it myself :D I'm happy this story's got you excited; I hope you liked this chapter, thanks for reviewing!

**PLLandGG:** Thank yooouuuu :) Hope you liked this update!

**Tennage Gallagher Girl Spy:** I don't want to spoil anything :) All I can tell you is that you'll find out why Cammie gave up soon! And, lol, it's okay, I don't think I should be proud of knowing all that death-related stuff about the human body...

**Guest (zammieandjackunzel4evaderp):** Thank you so much; you're too kind! I love the fact that you love this story, hope the update wasn't too long and that you liked today's chapter! Thanks for reviewing :)

**Magic-of-writing:** Heyyy :) You're back! Haha, reading your reviews was really entertaining (Btw, you can go to the designated chapters you reviewed on to see my responses). Don't worry, Zach will feel all better now that he got to see Cammie. Hopefully :p. Thanks for reviewing! Oh, and _Revenge is Earned_ was really cool :)

**Okay, so next chapter will continue on with the mission. We'll have Zach going against Catherine and Cammie going against Josh. But who will live and who will die? Stay tuned for Chapter 28 to find out :)**

**Please remember to REVIEW! You guys are doing a great job so far, but I want to see if I can get at least 10 reviews, since that's never happened before :) But I have complete faith that you guys can do it, so let's see what happens!**

**Also FOLLOW/FAVORITE if you like this story :)**

**So yeah, that's it for today. My school year's ending on the 11th, and after that is summer (finally!) so I'll have a ton of time to update. See you then!**

**~bookwormbullet**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Ahhh, it's good to be back. K, so I have another chapter for you all. After that last cliffy, I'm sure you guys really want to find out what happens and why that scumbag named Josh Abrams is back :) **

**Hahaa, this chapter will include Cammie and Josh facing off against each other as well as Zach vs. Catherine. And the Outlanders will try to save themselves and finish the mission. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girl series, all rights except plot go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28<strong>

**Cammie POV**

"Hey Cammie. Miss me?"

"Josh?" Cammie asked, taking a step back.

"You can take off that silly mask, Cammie. I know it's you behind Jennifer's face."

Cammie pressed her lips together tightly and turned her appearance back to herself. She gave him a one-over, studying his figure.

He looked...healthy. A little too healthy. His biceps bulged and his toned abs pressed against the tight fitted white T-shirt he was wearing. Josh looked taller, and bigger overall. His hair was a lighter shade of brown and it was cut short instead of swooping over his forehead. His eyes had lost that kind, sincere, blue. Now they were hard and ice-cold.

"I can't believe you were stuck here for so long...Did the Circle hurt you or anything?" Cammie asked.

"Hurt me?" Josh chuckled. "No, more like the complete opposite. They healed me_—_made me better, faster, stronger, wiser." He spread his arms wide and gestured to himself. "I'm a million times more powerful than I was before."

"I can see that," Cammie swallowed hard. "Listen, Joe's here_—_in Cavan. He's going to get me out of here and back home safe. You should come with us, just follow me."

Cammie turned to walk out the way she came into the hangar. As she neared the door, it started to close. She turned back to Josh, only to find him giving her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Cammie. But I can't exactly let you do that," Josh said, walking towards her. "My mission was clear: find you and capture you, dead or alive."

Cammie gave him a look of confusion. "What are you saying?"

"I'm not going to join you or the Outlanders, Cammie," Josh said. "I stand with Catherine. And if you don't...then you're my enemy."

Josh came forward and threw a right hook. Cammie's reflexes kicked in and her left arm shot up to block Josh's punch. He gave her a wicked grin and started sparring with her. Cammie had no choice but to fight him back. Her moves were weak, though, as she hadn't fought anyone in a long time.

"Josh. Stop. Fighting. Me," Cammie grunted as Josh attacked her. "We're not the bad guys here." Every muscle in her body was telling her to give up, since she was feeling so tired. But her mind screamed otherwise. _Come on, you can do this. You're the Chameleon, for god's sake!_

Cammie used this mental encouragement and used it to make her fighting stronger. She delivered more force into her attacks as she and Josh continued fighting.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

"Catherine," Zach said, scowling at his mother.

"Are you ever going to learn to call me 'Mom' or 'Mama'?" Catherine asked, taking a step forward.

"Like you deserve to be crowned 'Mom of the Year'," Zach sneered, balling his fists at his sides.

"I really don't see why you hate me that much," Catherine said, tilting her head to the right.

"Oh, believe me," Zach gave her an 'Are you serious?' look. "The list of reasons is quite long. Maybe I should start with the fact that you tortured my girlfriend into thinking that I was dead."

"Ah, right. How could I forget? Nevertheless, my plan worked..." Catherine said, crossing her arms and giving Zach a sinister smile. Zach felt his anger fade and it was replaced with fear.

"What plan worked?" he asked slowly.

"With Cammie believing that you were dead, she lost all hope of ever getting rescued_—_ever being with her friends and family again. So she gave me the names of the Circle members," Catherine shrugged.

"What?" A million of questions swam through Zach's mind. "No, Cammie would never do that. _I know_ that she would never do that."

"Evidently you don't," Catherine said, giving a small laugh.

_That's it..._Zach thought. He walked forward and swung his arm around. Catherine caught his fist and twisted it. She kicked Zach in the chest and he stumbled backwards. Glaring at his mom, he advanced again and punched her again, followed by a side kick. Catherine snarled and delivered a couple of blows. The two continued sparring and suddenly, Zach found himself in a choke hold under Catherine. He squirmed around, trying to get himself out of her grip, but Catherine didn't budge. All of a sudden, Zach heard a gunshot and Catherine yelled out in pain. She fell back, and loosened her hold. Zach scrambled away and saw Townsend standing in front of him, gun raised.

"Well, well, well," Catherine said, standing up and dusting herself off. The bullet had only grazed her thigh. "If it isn't a family reunion."

"What are you talking about?" Townsend said, still pointing his gun at Catherine.

"Don't act as if you don't know, Edward," Catherine gave him a look. "Come on. You really have no idea? All right then, let's take a little trip back down memory lane. We were together about eighteen years ago. Add 9 months from when we broke up...and Zach was born."

All the color on Townsend's face drained away. "No," he shook his head and took a step forward, cocking his gun. "No, you're lying."

Zach suddenly registered what Catherine was saying. "Wait...you mean..."

"Edward Townsend is your father, Zachary," Catherine said, staring at Townsend with a cold look in her eyes. "Always has, always will."

Zach looked at Townsend, shock and denial crossing his face. _It can't be true..._one half of his mind was saying. _But it makes complete sense..._the other half reasoned.

"And you might want to run, Zach," Catherine smiled at her son. "I ordered Josh to go find Cammie and bring her to me, dead or alive. So you probably want to go find the two, before Cammie dies. I'll give you a hint, they're in one of the hangars."

Zach's eyes widened, and he shared a scared look with Townsend.

"Go find her," Townsend said. "I'll take care of Catherine."

Zach nodded and mumbled a thanks to him. He shot a death glare at Catherine before running off to find Cammie.

* * *

><p><strong>Townsend POV<strong>

"Where were we?" Townsend turned back to Catherine. "Oh, right. I was about to kill you." He twisted his mouth into a scowl and walked towards Catherine, stuffing his gun into his back pocket. He started sparring with her, but since he was taller and stronger than Zach, he had double the effect Zach did on Catherine.

"You know that fighting me won't kill me, right?" Catherine smirked. "I'm a superhuman now, a little bruise in my stomach isn't going to do anything."

"Really?" Townsend stopped and pulled out his gun, aiming it at her head. "Huh. Well, maybe a bullet in your brain will." He fired, and Catherine's head snapped backwards. She collapsed to the ground and Townsend smiled grimly at her body.

* * *

><p><strong>Joe POV<strong>

When Bex finished making the call telling Joe that she and Cammie were separated from Zach, he turned to Abby with a concerned look.

"What is it?" she asked, tightening the grip on her gun.

"Bex just told me that she, Cammie, and Zach ran into Catherine. Bex and Cammie left, and Zach stayed behind with his mom," Joe replied, with a worried tone.

"Zach's with Catherine?" Townsend came forward. "Where?"

"They're in the hallway leading out from the Detention Center, on the 13th floor, I think."

Townsend immediately started to bound off, and Joe stared after him in surprise.

"Hey! Edward! Where do you think you're going?" Joe called out after him.

"Get Rachel to safety! I'm going to go find Catherine. This is my fight, not yours!" Townsend yelled back while sprinting away. Joe sighed, frustrated. and turned back to Abby and Rachel, the latter of whom just shrugged and beckoned Abby and Joe to keep going to the hangar.

The rest of the group traveled quickly, making their way to the ground floor, where all the hangars were. They shot any Circle agents they encountered and Joe was happy to see that Rachel hadn't lost her skill and agility as an Outlander.

After ten minutes, give or take, the group finally reached hangar E3. Joe instructed Abby to take Rachel to a medic to get her inspected. He rushed forward, searching the group of Outlanders for Cammie. He couldn't spot her light brown head anywhere. But he did find Macey, and pulled her aside.

"Did Bex come back yet?"

"No, she didn't. Why?" Macey frowned. Right then, Bex barged in, eyes wild. She looked through the crowd and her eyes fell on Joe and Macey.

"Where's Cammie?" Bex ran over to the two with a concerned look.

"I thought she was with you..." Joe said slowly, the alarm rising in his voice.

"She was, but then I told her to come this way," Bex explained. "She never showed up?"

"No, she never came," Macey looked back and forth between Joe and Bex.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bex groaned rubbing her hand on her head. "If the Circle kidnapped her again, she could be anywhere by now. Maybe in a safe house on the ground somewhere miles away."

Macey's eyes widened and she pushed through Bex and Joe, yelling Jonas's name. "Jonas? Jonas!"

The boy peeked out from one of the Outlander jets. "Yeah?"

"I need you to go through the Circle's security system and tell me if any of the Circle ships left Cavan within the past half hour."

"On it," Jonas disappeared back inside the jet and got to work.

"In the meantime, I'll send my team out to scan the floors for her," Macey left Bex and Joe, finding Grant and the rest of her team to start looking for Cammie.

Joe heard a beeping noise in his comms, telling him that he was receiving a call. He answered it, and was relieved to hear Zach's voice.

_"Joe! I just left Townsend with Catherine. She told me that Cammie was with Josh."_

"_Josh?_" Joe said incredulously. "Do you know where?" He signaled to Macey to come closer to him to tell her the new information.

_"Catherine told me that they're in one of the hangars, but I don't know which one,"_ Zach replied. _"Oh, and Cammie told Catherine the names of the Circle members."_

"Seriously? All right, well, go try to find her. I'm leaving now with Macey and Grant." Joe disconnected the call as Macey came up to him.

"What's going on?" Macey asked.

"Townsend's with Catherine right now, and she told Zach before he left them that Cammie was with Josh in one of the hangars. Apparently Cammie already told Catherine the names, so we need to move quickly. Get Grant_—_you two are coming with me."

Macey nodded as Bex gave Joe a look. "I'll come with you," Bex offered.

"No, Bex, you stay here with the others. Take care of any Circle agents that come, okay?"

Bex gave a small nod as Joe beckoned to Macey and Grant. "Come on."

Joe ran out of the room, with Macey and Grant following. They went up to each hangar door, drilling a hole in the big metal piece and checking each room out. The process was slow, but they were making some progress. As they reached hangar C3, Joe saw Zach come running towards them. The teen gave look of relief when he spotted Joe and joined the group.

"Did you find out which hangar she's in?" Joe asked.

"No, not yet," Zach shook his head.

"There's no one in here, Joe," Grant declared after looking through the hole he and Macey drilled in the door.

Joe nodded and moved onto the next hangar, hangar C4. As they were about to drill the hole, he heard a bang come from inside, followed by a scream. He and Zach shared a look.

"Guys, open hangar C4 now!" Joe shouted to Grant and Macey. _Hang in there, Cammie. We're coming._

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie screamed in agony as Josh twisted her arm behind her back. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

"Just give up, Cammie. You know you can't defeat me," Josh whispered against her skin.

Cammie narrowed her eyes and elbowed Josh in the face with her other hand. He stumbled back, hand covering his eye. Cammie took this opportunity to rush forward and deliver a series of jabs and kicks, just like the ones that Zach taught her months ago in Blackthorne. Josh lost his balance and Cammie sweeped his feet out from underneath him. He tumbled to the ground and Cammie went on his body, placing her arm against his neck.

"Josh, you need to snap out of it. Catherine is just using you. She's made of pure evil."

Josh just grinned back at her from the ground. "Easy for you to say. Maybe if you hadn't rebelled against her, you'd never be in danger your entire life. Catherine has great plans for the human civilization. She will help preserve our race and make us better than we were before."

"Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth?" Cammie stared at Josh with a look of disbelief. "Catherine is planning on wiping out all humans. She's not going to save any of us."

"So join us," Josh interrupted. "Join the Circle, and you and I can be together forever."

"I could never join the Circle," Cammie gritted her teeth.

"Because you don't want to leave Zach?" Josh spat.

"What?" Cammie loosened her hold on Josh when he mentioned Zach's name. Josh took this to his advantage and flipped her so that Cammie was on the ground and he was hunched over her.

"When Catherine told me that you were going around and locking lips with some other guy, I was pissed," Josh said. He lifted up his hand and curled a lock of Cammie's hair behind her ear. "I didn't believe at first. My Cammie? She'd never do that. But now I see that you've moved on. You're not in love with me anymore," he paused, smiling a sickly smile. "Which is why I won't care when I kill you."

Josh placed both his hands on Cammie's neck and squeezed it hard. Her eyes widened and she started to run out of air to breathe, trying to pry Josh's hands off her neck.

"Josh," she wheezed softly. "Josh, please...don't do this, please."

"I thought we'd be together forever," Josh said, shaking his head sadly. "But now I know that you're just a selfish little b*tch_—_"

He was interrupted by a gunshot. Josh's head snapped to the side, and he slumped to the ground. Cammie gave a huge gasp of air and started coughing. She glanced up and saw Zach standing by the hangar door, gun in hand.

"The bastard was talking too much," he said simply.

Cammie almost smiled at his comment but another wave of coughing came over her. She hunched over, trying to regain her breath. She heard running footsteps and felt a group of people kneel next to her, checking her to make sure she was okay. She heard Joe's worried voice in her ear, saying her name over and over again.

Cammie's mind was numb from Josh's "murder attempt" and all she could do was sit there and heave up and down rapidly. She felt someone pick her up and carry her out of the hangar. She had no idea who it was, but she was so exhausted, she just lolled her head on their shoulder and closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sounds around her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was sitting in an Outlander jet, strapped into one of the seats. Turning to her left she saw Bex, talking quietly with Grant and Zach. Joe was also there, but he was with another woman, one with black hair and a beautiful face. None of them noticed that Cammie was awake.

Cammie turned to her right and saw that they were cruising on the runway in the hangar, lifting off into the sky, out of Cavan. They sailed through the clouds for a few minutes. Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud explosion. Cammie squinted out the window and saw a huge fireball in place of Cavan. She smiled to herself before dozing off again.

* * *

><p><strong>Zach POV<strong>

Zach paced back and forth in front of the bed that Cammie was put on in the infirmary. He kneaded his hands together anxiously, praying silently that Cammie would be okay.

He heard a small cough and his head whipped to Cammie's body. Her eyes were open and she was looking around the infirmary with confusion.

"Gallagher Girl," he breathed in relief and walked to her side. "How are you doing?"

Cammie gave a small smile up at him. "I'm okay." Her voice was a little raspy, but other than that, she sounded fine. "What exactly happened? I don't really remember most of it."

Zach grinned. "We won. We beat the Circle. It's over." He started laughing and bent down to engulf Cammie in a hug. "It's over."

He felt Cammie wrap her hands around him. "Catherine's dead?"

Zach pulled back and lowered his eyes to the floor. "Yeah...she is."

"I'm sorry," Cammie said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Don't be," Zach shook his head. "She was a terrible mother. I hated her anyway."

Cammie bit her lip and nodded. "And Josh?"

"He's also...gone," Zach lifted his gaze to meet Cammie's. She nodded silently and took Zach's hands in hers. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"You killed him...for me. I could never have done it myself."

Zach sighed and took a seat next to Cammie, snuggling up next to her. "I found out that Townsend's my dad today."

"What?!" Cammie leaned back and stared at Zach with a look of shock. "He's your _dad_?"

"Yup," Zach said, toying with the ends of the blanket Cammie was under. "Catherine told me."

"Did he know all along?"

"No, actually. Catherine never mentioned it to him."

"Oh my god...Did you talk to him at all after you found out?"

"No," Zach admitted.

"You should," Cammie smiled. "Townsend's a good guy, and I'm sure he'll make a good dad."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Zach said, bursting out in laughter. Cammie joined him, and their giggle floated through the hall. When the quieted down, Cammie placed her head in the crook of Zach's neck.

"We actually survived this, Zach."

"We did," Zach agreed. "Mission accomplished."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yayayayay! Catherine's dead! Josh's dead! The Circle's dead! Lol, I sound so happy saying this :) Don't worry guys, this isn't the last chapter. I'll probably have one or two more chapters left. Zach still has to talk with his dad, and Cammie still needs to meet Rachel. So yeah, that'll probably be in the next chapter, and I'll have an epilogue for Chapter 30. **

**But other than that, this story is coming to a close :( I don't really have any other ideas for this fic, and I feel like if I continued it on, I'd just be dragging it along. So yeah, I'll probably end it in Chapter 30.**

**Send in any requests if you have any ideas for character development. Do you wanna see more of a certain character or something? Tell me :)**

**How'd you like this chapter overall? Leave a REVIEW and let me know! Thanks fam :)**

**kaitgirl:** Yes, Zammie will overcome everything :) Ahaha I hope you enjoyed today's chapter!

**miaadventure: **Oh my :0...Ah, well, I hoped Zach killing Josh made up for your hatred against him XD. I think your review pretty much sums up what all Gallagher Girl fans feel about Josh :) Oh and thanks for the input about the last chapter moving too fast; I went ahead and changed some stuff, so thank you for that :) I hoped you liked today's update! Thanks for reviewing!

**BooksLover2000: **Those two letters mean so many things :) But I have a feeling they have something to do with the name Josh? I don't know, just a guess. Hope you liked today's chapter :)

**Tennage Gallagher Girl Spy: **Oh no! Okay, I changed the stuff from the last chapter so it would be clearer for other readers. Thanks for your advice. And omg, please don't think I'm a secret murderer or something XD I swear, I'm just a normal teenage girl! And yes, I did check out your story, it's pretty amazing, keep up the good work! Thanks for reviewing!

**zammieandjackunzel4evaderp: **Ahaha, yes cliffys and I are frenemies. I hope the update wasn't too long, and that you enjoyed today's chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**ilovemesomecupcakes:** This review is everything :) Thank you so much for your comments! I hope you liked today's chapter :)

**Okay so that's all for today. Thanks for all your love and support_—_you guys are honestly the best readers ever, I couldn't have asked for more :) I'll see you in Chapter 29! Bye :)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: How's everyone doing? I'm here with Chapter 29 :) A couple of people requested to have cute Zammie fluff, so I included that, as well as the Zach/Townsend moment and the Cammie/Rachel moment. Oh and Abby and Townsend will come to terms about their relationship. So really, yeah today's the chapter where we'll tie up any loose ends between characters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girl series.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29<strong>

**Zach POV**

After Cammie had been released from the infirmary, the first thing she did was push Zach in the direction of Townsend's room_—_he had been upgraded from his cell after his work on the mission.

Now Zach was walking down the hall to Townse_—_no, his _dad's_ room. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and was desperately trying to figure out what he should say when his father opened the door.

_"Hey Dad. It's nice to meet you even though we've known each other for ages now."_

Words and sentences kept popping up in his head and soon Zach found himself standing in front of Townsend's room. He swallowed hard and raised his hand, knocking on the door three times.

Only seconds passed until Townsend opened the door, saying, "Abby, it's good_—_" He paused when he realized that it was Zach standing at the entrance and not Cammie's aunt.

"Zach," Townsend blinked and stared at his son. "Hi."

"Hey," Zach said, giving a faint smile. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Townsend scooted to the side and allowed Zach to enter. He directed the teen to the group of sofas sitting in center of the living room. His place was surprisingly...neat. Everything was nicely placed in their spot and not a single object was out of line.

_I guess not everything runs in the family,_ Zach thought, referring to the messy state of his own room.

"Do you want something to drink?" Townsend asked, fiddling with his fingers.

"...No," Zach sat down one of the sofas and Townsend reluctantly took a seat across from him.

"I have a pretty good guess as to why you're here..." Townsend looked down at his hands. "But I want you to know, that I had no idea whatsoever. Catherine never told me_—_and I never assumed."

"You never assumed that I could be your son?" Zach gave him a look. "Catherine's my mother. You're the only person she was ever with! Who else could have been my father?"

Townsend nodded, biting his lip. "I realize that now...I just always thought you were someone else's son." Zach just scoffed and looked away.

"But I promise, now that the dust has settled, I'll be a good dad," Townsend leaned forward and balanced his elbows on his knees. "We can spend time together and_—_"

"I'm almost eighteen now," Zach interrupted. "I don't think I need any more quality time with dad. I did well enough without it."

Townsend pressed his lips together in a tight line. "I deserved that," he exhaled, leaning back into the cushions.

"Did you love her?" Zach suddenly asked. "Catherine_—_did you love her?"

Townsend frowned slightly but answered his question. "I did, at one point. When we were young, not any older than the age you and Cammie are now. I thought Catherine was the most exquisite being on the planet."

"And then you stopped loving her," Zach said. "After you found out what she had done to herself. What she planned to do to others."

"I felt terrible that my feelings had turned," Townsend explained. "I tried to convince myself that Catherine was a bad person. That she had changed. That she wasn't the lovely little redhead I had fallen for. I ended up choosing the Outlanders over her, as I do now."

"Did you ever regret it?" Zach had his hands together tightly. He had no idea why he wanted to know all this information.

Townsend looked down at the ground, with a serene expression on his face_—_as if he was reminiscing about his past. "No. I don't think so." He looked back at Zach. "Why are you asking me all this?"

Zach sighed and played with the frayed ends of the sofa cushions. "I_—_I never really knew Catherine. My entire life was spent on hating her_—_I guess I just wanted to see if there was a chance that I could accept her as my mother and nothing more."

Townsend smiled weakly. "I should be asking myself that same thing. I was the one who killed her."

Zach glanced up sharply when he said that. He stared at Townsend for a while before breaking out in a shy grin. "Good riddance."

Townsend chuckled and gave Zach a sweet, fatherly look that made Zach's heart swell up in pride. "I swear, Zachary, that I will be here for you, even though you're practically an adult, okay? Anything you need, just tell me."

Zach opened his mouth and sat there for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah. I will...Thanks."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie was making her way towards Joe's office, silently smiling to herself. She was so happy that everything had gone back to normal_—_she, Zach, and her family were all right—_Wait a second,_ she thought suddenly._ Family...My mom!_

Her eyes widened and she started running down the hall. She had completely forgotten all about her mother—Rachel was allegedly here in Blackthorne, and Cammie had idly just stood by without even remembering.

She burst into Joe's office, out of breath and her wild eyes scanned the people inside. She saw Joe lounging at his desk, and he stood up once Cammie came in. On the other side of his desk was Abby who was mid sentence about something. Seated next to her was a gorgeous woman with dark hair, the same woman Cammie saw talking to Joe on the plane ride back to Blackthorne.

_That's her!_ Cammie's mind screamed. _That's your mom!_

"Hey Cammie," Joe said, the ends of his mouth twitching. "How are you feeling? What did the doctor's say?"

"Uh...I'm good," Cammie said absently. Her eyes were still on her mom, who looked like she was about to cry. Rachel's eyes were shining and her bottom lip was trembling ever so slightly.

"Cameron," she breathed and stood up, almost knocking down her chair in the process. She walked over to Cammie and hesitantly stopped when she was only inches from her.

"Mom," Cammie grinned, and all the faint memories she had about her mom when she was a little girl poured into her mind, replaying over and over again. Growing up, Cammie had thought that the images were all fake, since there was no way that she could have remembered something from when she was one or two years old. But now, as she stared into her mom's eyes, she had a really big gut feeling that they were all true.

"You've grown so much," Rachel lifted her hand to her mouth. "You look so much like your dad."

A small laugh escaped Cammie's mouth and she smiled modestly. "Well, it has been fourteen years." She rocked back and forth on her heels. "But it's really good to see you again."

Rachel nodded and suddenly swept Cammie into a hug. Cammie stood stiff at first but relaxed, burying her face in her mom's shirt. Cammie could smell the vague fragrance of strawberry scented shampoo_—_the same kind that she used. She felt her mom's tears fall down into her hair, and the entire time Cammie held her mom's waist tight, as if her own arms were the only thing keeping Rachel from disappearing the minute she let go.

After a while, Cammie slowly pulled back and she glanced past her mother to Abby and Joe. Abby had her hands clasped together and was staring at Cammie and Rachel with a big smile plastered on her face. Joe's eyes had turned red and when Cammie looked closely, she was pretty sure she saw a small glinting tear escape the corner of this eye.

"Are you _crying_?" She stared at him while chuckling.

"No!" Joe said hurriedly and turned his face away. "It's just_..._allergies, you know?"

The three Morgan women burst out laughing and Joe's face turned as red as his eyes.

"Whatever," he waved his hand dismissively, and turned serious again. "It really is great to have you back, Rachel."

Rachel beamed and squeezed Cammie's shoulders, sharing a look with her. "It really is great to _be_ back."

* * *

><p><strong>Abby POV<strong>

After all the hugs and happy tears between Rachel and Cammie were over, Abby went to Townsend's room, as he had told her to meet him after the mission was over. She hadn't gotten the chance since then—she _had_ just gotten her sister back—but she decided to go there now.

The minute Townsend opened the door for her, she noticed that something was different about him. He looked happier and seemed like a changed man overall. But after looking at Abby for a few seconds, his expression sombered and the aura faded a little. Abby frowned, wondering what could possibly be the matter.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I_—_" he started but closed his mouth. "Why don't you come inside first?"

Abby nodded and followed him inside, her mind still racing with questions. "Is it something serious?" she said as she sat down.

"No," Townsend shook his head. "But the news may surprise you." He swallowed hard and lifted his eyes to meet Abby's. "I found out, during the mission, that I'm...Zach's father."

At first Abby thought she hadn't heard him correctly. _Who's father?_ her mind asked. Then the image of the dark haired, green eyed, smiling boy, arms wrapped around Cammie's waist popped up in her mind.

"Zach's father?" she echoed, staring at Townsend in complete shock. "I...how is it...I mean, how long have you known?"

"Only since yesterday," Townsend assured her. "I told you, it was during the mission. Catherine told me, and I had no idea beforehand."

"Oh my god," Abby leaned back into the sofa.

Townsend bit his lip, staring at Abby with a hesitant expression. "I know, it's a shock. It was for me, too."

"I don't know, it's just—" Abby started. "It doesn't seem that surprising...It's like I knew from the moment you came back to Blackthorne. Like I've always known," She looked up at Townsend with a concerned glance. "Does Zach know?"

"Yeah, he was there with me when Catherine let the cat out of the bag," Townsend nodded. "We just talked before you came—about what the news meant for the both of us."

"And what does it mean for _us_?" Abby asked slowly. "What are _we_ supposed to do now?"

"Nothing!" Townsend exclaimed. "It doesn't mean anything. I haven't stopped loving you, Abigail. Everything's the same between us, I promise."

Abby pursed her lips, and nodded slowly. Her heart was beating fast, and she was a little breathless. _He just told me he loved me,_ she thought, almost smiling. But it was a single thought that made her stop from showing how happy she was.

"Where do you see us in the future?" she asked.

Townsend frowned before giving his response. "That's easy. Getting married, maybe even having kids of our own—"

"We can't," Abby interrupted bitterly. "It's not fair for Zach—"

"What do you mean?" Townsend reached out and took Abby's hand, but she pulled away. "If this is about Zach having stepbrothers and sisters, I'm sure he'll be fine with it—"

"I wasn't finished. It's not fair for Zach _and_ Cammie," Abby gave him a pointed look. "Think about it. If we get married...then Zach and Cammie would be cousins. And they'd never be able to have a future together."

The truth suddenly dawned on Townsend. His mouth parted and he gave a long, sad look to Abby. "Do we really need to sacrifice our love for them?"

"We do," Abby nodded. "Because she's my niece and he's your son. And _we_ love them."

Townsend nodded and moved his gaze away from Abby as if it was too hard to look at her. It probably was.

She stood up and took a seat next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry it had to turn out this way."

He finally lifted his head, but he still didn't look at her directly. "I'm sorry, too."

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Cammie was still sitting in Joe's office, her head leaning against her mom's shoulder while Rachel stroked her hair. Joe was also still sitting at his desk and he was staring absentmindedly off into space. Cammie had finished telling Rachel all about her time in Gallagher, how she had been 'kidnapped' by Zach and found out that Joe was the leader of the Outlanders. And then she told Rachel about her crazy adventures that she had once she had become an Outlander— going back to Gallagher, saving Preston and Abby, having Townsend come back from _Cavan_, and the Winter Ball—where she had been captured by the Circle and tortured by Catherine.

"Oh, I completely forgot to ask you about this," Joe slipped out of his reverie and turned back to Rachel and Cammie. "Cam, I heard from Zach that you gave Catherine the Circle members' names. What was that all about?"

Cammie thought back to her time with Catherine in her cell. "Oh," she smiled. "I didn't actually give her the real names. They were all fake ones."

"Fake ones?" Joe repeated, looking very much relieved.

"Yup," Cammie nodded earnestly. "I didn't want to give up, but after what Catherine had done to Zach—or rather what I _thought_ she did to Zach—I was scared that she would do something to one of you guys. So I just pretended to write down the real names of the Circle members."

"Wow," Rachel turned to look down at her daughter. "And she never noticed?"

"Apparently not."

"Huh," Joe leaned back in his chair. "I guess that's settled then."

Cammie glanced at the time on the clock sitting on Joe's desk. "Oh hey, listen, I want to go see Zach before dinner, so I'm going to go head out, okay?" She pulled herself off of Rachel, and gave her a small hug. "I'll see you guys later."

She left, humming quietly. As she was walking down the hall, she took the time to smile and greet each and every person she passed.

_How long has it been since I was this happy?_

She slowed to a stop when she reached Zach's room, and knocked on the door. Cammie remembered the first time she came to his place, when she was lost and it was her first week at Blackthorne. Zach had found her wandering the hallways and had offered her to come inside. They had talked, and the conversation had led into a kiss. Sure they had their fair share of fights and arguments, but Cammie had to agree that Zach was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Cammie was smiling when Zach opened the door. "Hey," he grinned and pulled her inside, pressing his lips against hers. "How was meeting your mom?"

"Awesome," she looked up at him. "How was meeting your dad?"

"Awesome," Zach smiled before leaning in again. They stood there, Cammie pressed against the door and Zach kissing her softly. After several minutes, he pulled away slowly and looked down at her. "I was so scared," he whispered. "When you were gone. I thought...that they had killed you or something—"

"Zach," Cammie cut in and tried to stop him from talking about the topic.

"And when I saw you in your cell, huddled up in that thin blanket, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was so relieved. My Cammie wasn't taken from me, and I almost felt like thanking Catherine for not killing you—"

"Zach," Cammie cut in again, with a more firm voice this time. "Don't think about things like that."

Zach nodded, and cupped Cammie's face in his hands. "I love you. More than you could ever imagine. You know that, right?"

"I know," Cammie smiled and looped her arms around his neck.

"I've never fallen in love before, let alone known what it was like to have you in my life," Zach continued. "You are the bane of my existence, Cameron Morgan. I will love you with every dying breath, and if I go and you're still here, you needn't worry, because I'll keep loving you then."

Cammie choked back a sound of joy as her eyes welled up with tears and she pulled Zach closer to her so that their mouths were almost touching. "I've never been good with big speeches. But I'll tell you right now, that I feel the exact same way. I love you too, Zachary Goode."

Zach smiled and before Cammie realized what was happening, Zach's lips were on hers again and his hands were snaking around her waist.

"What's. With. All. The. Lip. Locking?" Cammie asked in between kisses. Zach's hands left her waist and traveled up to her hair.

"No reason," Zach released her mouth, panting slightly. "I just really love you."

Cammie gasped as Zach's fingers found the hem of her shirt and slipped underneath. Her eyes met Zach and he had a questioning look in his green irises. She gave a nod and within the next minute she was lying on Zach's bed with her face buried in the crook of his neck as he left a trail of kisses going down her body.

* * *

><p><strong>Liz POV<strong>

Liz was working in Dr. Fibb's office, studying one of the vials that Catherine had injected herself with and trying to figure out the formula that Catherine had used. The chemical equation was complex, and Liz figured it would take a while before she could wrap her head around the concept.

A few days ago, she had been waiting anxiously in Blackthorne, desperately wishing that she was with the rest of her friends in _Cavan_. The anxiety was killing her, and she distinctively remembered almost chewing all of her nails off in anticipation.

At one point, Professor Buckingham had found her pacing back and forth in the control room and had told Liz to go get some rest. Liz silently obeyed and left, but instead of going back to her room, she went to the lab and asked Dr. Fibbs if he needed any help with anything. Working in the lab was equivalent to painkillers for her and was also the best way to get her mind off of things.

And then the call came in from Joe, telling the Outlanders in Blackthorne were all right—they had few casualties—and more importantly that Cammie needed medical attention, but she was alive and safe. Liz was so relieved when she was waiting in the hangar next to Professor Buckingham and the rest of the teachers as the Outlander jets started arriving, one by one. She almost cried of joy when she saw Cammie being helped off of the jet on a gurney, but Professor Buckingham put out an arm to stop her from advancing towards her.

* * *

><p><em>"Give Cameron some space," she said gently.<em>

_Liz bit her lip and nodded, and her eyes went back to the Outlander jets, where more people were getting off. She spotted a familiar face_—_glasses and dark curly hair._

_"Jonas!" Liz ran forward, throwing her arms around his body. He staggered back from the impact and awkwardly patted Liz._

_"Uh...hey," he said, pulling himself off of her. "How are you?"_

_"How can you be asking me that when you literally just came back from the Circle's evil lair?" Liz said, scanning Jonas up and down. "You're okay, right? You didn't get hurt or anything?"_

_"I'm fine, Liz," Jonas blus__hed, looking down. "I was in the jet for pretty much the entire time." He picked up the things he had dropped when Liz had hugged him and started walking forward._

_"What happened?" Liz asked, going with Jonas to the elevator. _

_"Well, I heard from the others that Zach and Bex were able to find Cammie fairly easily, but on the way, they ran into Catherine. Zach stayed behind, and Cammie and Bex continued on. And then they encountered some Circle agents, and Bex told Cammie to find the rest of us. She left Bex and Josh found her, and tried to kill her, but Joe, Macey, Grant, and Zach found her in time," Jonas explained warily. "And Zach killed Josh."_

_"Wait, I thought Zach was with Catherine," Liz frowned. _

_"He was, but then apparently Townsend arrived and told Zach to find Cammie. I'm pretty sure Townsend ended up being the one who killed Catherine," Jonas said._

_Liz nodded. "Good. So then it's all over. And what about Cammie's mom?"_

_"She's here," Jonas turned around and pointed to a woman with dark hair talking to Joe and Abby. _

She doesn't look much like Cammie,_ Liz thought. _But maybe up close there's a resemblance.

_Jonas and Liz entered the elevator and joined the others in the infirmary to see how Cammie was doing. As she waited by her bedside, Liz couldn't help but remember the time when Cammie was in a coma and her condition was much serious. _

She's been through so much,_ Liz beamed. _And she's still here, fighting with every ounce of her own will.

* * *

><p>"Liz?" Dr. Fibb's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked at him with a questioning expression, feeling her cheeks grow warm as this wasn't the first time Dr. Fibbs had caught her daydreaming.<p>

"Hmm?"

"I was just letting you know that Jonas is here to see you."

"What?" Liz looked up and saw Jonas standing at the doorway, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. "Oh...hi, what are you doing here?" She walked to him, taking off her gloves and lab coat.

"I...uh...I came to see you," Jonas smiled shyly. "And I wanted to ask you...if you wanted to maybe go somewhere?"

"Go somewhere?" Liz raised her eyebrows. "Go where?"

"I don't know...take a walk or something?" Jonas suggested.

"Um," Liz looked back at her station, where Dr. Fibbs was standing. He smiled at her encouragingly. "Sure, why not?" She turned back and gave Jonas a grin.

"Great," Jonas breathed and stepped aside, allowing Liz to exit the room. They walked down the hall, Liz giving small, quick glances at Jonas's profile. She felt his hand knock against hers and soon both of their hands were clasped together.

Jonas suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, and Liz turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Can you believe what we've been through?" he asked. "Kidnappings, and rescue missions, and assassination attempts." He gave a short laugh. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"It is," Liz smiled at his newfound excitement.

"And I think _you're_ pretty amazing," Jonas suddenly blurted out and then opened his mouth to form a small 'o'. "Uh...I mean," his cheeks turned scarlet.

Liz chuckled and walked closer to him. "I think you're pretty amazing too," she said in an almost-whisper.

Jonas exhaled and leaned forward, his mouth brushing Liz's softly. He pulled away as a second later.

It was a small kiss, but it left Liz breathless. She smiled widely and squeezed his hand, swinging it back and forth as they continued down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>Cammie POV<strong>

Later that evening, during dinner, Cammie was sitting next to Zach, their hands joined under the table. She was surrounded by all her friends—Bex and Grant were laughing about something on her left and Macey was leaning against Preston's shoulder across from her. Liz and Jonas were talking together quietly, but they seemed...unusually different. Like they were more comfortable with each other and not as awkward.

In the next table over, Joe and Rachel were talking—exchanging stories, no doubt. Abby was also a part of the conversation, but Townsend wasn't anywhere near her. She saw her aunt look at something longingly behind her. Cammie followed her gaze and saw Townsend sitting in one of the back tables, chatting with Mr. Smith.

Cammie turned when she felt Zach sigh next to her. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, actually," Zach smiled down at her. "You know, I think we're going to be all right from now on."

"I think so, too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Eee! Yay I finished! It's not the last chapter though, the next one's going to be an epilogue. But the official story is over :( Wow, it's been a long ride, back from February 13th of 2014 all the way to July 13th of 2015. Exactly 18 epic months :)**

**And can I just say how exceptional you guys all are? I got flooded with so many comments and reviews and PMs, and I want to thank you all. You guys are so amazing, and I've said it so many times before, but I'll say it again—I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! You rock my world, and I feel so grateful to have awesome readers like you! You're practically the only reason I wrote this story, so thank you-from the very bottom of my heart!**

**zammiandjackunzel4evaderp:** This review made me feel bittersweet :) I intended for Catherine and Josh to die in the last chapter, but maybe I can add a sequel? I don't know, we'll see. But thanks for being an awesome reviewer the past few months!

**GallagherGirls13BYE:** Ahaha, thank you so much Colleen! Yesss, I was also so shocked when I found out about Townsend XD Ally really does know how to surprise everyone...I should be thanking you for reading this fic, you were one of my first reviewers, and I really do appreciate the support you gave for all these chapters :) I'm glad you loved the last update, and I hoped you liked this one :) Thank you, once again!

**Tennage Gallagher Girl Spy:** Haha, thank you! I was also very happy to have Josh and Catherine killed :D Thanks for reviewing!

**BooksLover2000:** This is the best! Lol, thank you for being an awesome reviewer for this story! I fully appreciate your support and all your entertaining reviews :) Hoped you liked today's chapter!

**kaitgirl:** Yes, I know—I'm really sad too :( Hoped you liked today's chapter, thanks for reviewing since forever ago!

**miaadventure:** Yes, I know right! I felt such a big satisfaction writing their deaths XD. Thank you so much for being an amazing reviewer for this fic! You've been here for a long time and I really appreciate all you gave for this story. I hope you liked today's chapter :)

**Frosted Rock:** Thanks for your request, I hope today's chapter fulfilled your wish :) Thanks for being an awesome reviewer!

**Ms. lovely:** Thank you so much! You're too kind, and your words are so touching. I'm happy you loved this story :) Oh, and the reason Catherine wanted the Circle names was because she had agents placed all throughout the villages who were already part of the Circle secretly or were descendants of Circle agents. Catherine didn't know exactly who they were, so she needed their names to find them. And once she found them, she would give them the potion that would give them superhuman abilities. Glad you're enjoying the Zammie, thanks for reviewing!

**:) I hope you guys all liked today's chapter. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the Zammie, or LizxJonas, or if you felt sad that Townsend and Abby couldn't be together. And hit the FAVORITE/FOLLOW button while you're at it!**

**Speaking of reviews, I have 167 so far, which is incredible. But I really want to see if I can get to 200 by the end of this story. All you guys have is this chapter and the next one, so try your best! It would be amazing if I got 200—let's see if we can get there!**

**And maybe if we get 200 reviews, I'll write a sequel? (hopefully)**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much I as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for being the best readers in the universe!**

**Remember, 200 reviews, only 33 more to go!**

**I hope you have a nice day and I hope you're happy and smiling wherever you are :) I'll see you in the epilogue of Chapter 30! (Last chapter *eeek!*)**

**~bookwormbullet**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: It's here! It's finally here! The very last chapter of Chameleon :( Oh man, I remember posting the first chapter of this and hoping that at least _one_ person would like reading it :) And now I have so many readers and wonderful people who have been with me since Day 1. ****There's a big author's note at the end since it's the last chapter and I really want to thank all of you guys for the effort that you put into this story.**

**It took forever to write this****—****probably because I didn't want to write it (this being the last chapter and all) and I wasn't really sure how to have "a big ending" for your guys' satisfaction.**

**Anyways, you guys want to find out how the Cammie and her friends end up living their lives, so I'll stop talking now.**

**Oh, by the way, this chapter—sorry _epilogue_—takes place **7 years in the future** :)**

**Disclaimer: For the 30th time, I do not own the Gallagher Girls :(**

* * *

><p><strong>~Epilogue~<strong>

**7 Years Later**

**Cammie POV**

Times had changed. Why wouldn't it? It had been seven years. Catherine was gone, and there was peace. Peace that spread from one side of the continent to the other. The villages were still there, but the federal government was much more appropriate. There were two elected officials from each village—Blackthorne included—and they all joined together to form the Council. The Council met when there were any problems that needed to be discussed urgently. So there was no monarchy or tyranny—no one ruler that was superior to everyone else. All the villages were united as one, and they even had their own national legislatures. Sort of like a republic, but not really.

Since the villages had been taken out from Catherine's influence, a lot of them were lost by means of surviving. Take Washington, for example. There leader had been killed, and there only other leader could have been Catherine, who was also dead. Preston decided to take charge where his father had left off, so he decided to leave Blackthorne and moved back to Washington, and Macey went along with him, now serving as First Lady. Being the leader(s) of Washington, they were also the two representatives for Washington on the Council.

Blackthorne was still around. Now it had slowly become a military base, where villages could seek help if there was any type of trouble. Aside from people leaving to move to other villages, those who aspired to become Blackthorne agents moved in, and the population of the 300 people that there were 7 years ago grew to 1000s of men, women, and children. All training—all sworn to protect the villages in any face of danger.

The location of Blackthorne had also changed. The old building had stayed, the one that was underground and hidden from view. But there was also a new building that had formed, one that was above the surface of the earth. This was the residential area, where all the students and teachers lived. It was a sleek, modern, skyscraper, one that was heavily guarded and protected, of course. Cammie and her friends had had to move here, into new apartment rooms, which were bigger than their old ones.

Joe was still the leader of Blacthorne, but now by his side was Rachel—second in command. Both of them served as the two representatives for Blackthorne on the Council. Abby was the general of the field agents of Blackthorne. She trained all the cadets and helped Blackthorne become an unstoppable force. Townsend had taken over Joe's position of being the CoveOps teacher, and his dingy little cell had become a faded memory. All the other teachers resumed their previous positions. Dr. Fibbs was still the Research and Development teacher, Mr. Mosckowitz was still teaching Encryption and Computing. Professor Buckingham was the teacher for History of Espionage, Professor Smith for Countries of the World, Madame Dabney for Culture and Assimilation, and Ms. Hancock for Protection and Enforcement, which had merged with Abby's training program.

Cammie had graduated from her classes a few months after the Circle was gone. She, Zach, Bex, Macey, Liz, Grant, and Jonas—along with all their classmates moved up to become an agent in whichever area they desired. Cammie, Zach, Bex, and Grant all became field agents, while Liz studied to become a biology major under Dr. Fibbs. Jonas, unsurprisingly went on to assist Mr. Mosckowitz in programming new technology for Blackthorne.

Cammie was 24 years old now, but she was turning 25 the next day. She was still with Zach, who hadn't changed a single bit. His eyes were the still the same pretty shade of green, his smirk still tugging on his lips, and his love for Cammie hadn't gone anywhere. Cammie's appearance had changed, however, just a little. Her hair had gotten natural highlights, after staying outside and helping out the villages, and her eyes had become a brighter shade of blue. She felt a lot more mature, though her stubbornness had stayed.

None of Cammie's friends had gotten married or anything. It was a bit risky, in the business that they were in, to have someone you loved so much be publicly announced. If you had any enemies, your significant other could always be in danger. Plus, with all the training and protecting, there wasn't much time set for each other, and most of Cammie's friends wanted to focus on their work then their love life.

Nevertheless, Cammie's friends were all still together with their respective boyfriends and girlfriends. Bex and Grant were inseparable, and even though it had been seven years, they seemed no different. Bex was still teasing Grant, Grant was still madly in love with his queen.

Liz and Jonas, on the other hand, had the most secretive relationship that Cammie knew. No one was able to figure out if they were exclusively dating, or just friends. Maybe they _had_ gotten secretly married, and they didn't even tell anyone—Cammie had no idea.

Right now, Cammie was sitting in her and Zach's new loft in the Residential Building. They had moved in together, and had sported a big apartment with state of the art design and furniture. There was a master bedroom and a guest bedroom, two bathrooms, a big kitchen, a living room with a flat screen, and a study. Plus, since they were on one of the top floors, their apartment came with a large balcony that looked out into the woods. If you looked closely enough, you could see the next village over.

Cammie was sleeping in her bed, her body nestled up against Zach's. Her mind was having a sweet dream. It was the type that was happy and full of love—the type you never forgot—the type you wished was real.

* * *

><p><em>Cammie was standing in a small room, in front of a floor length mirror. She was staring at her reflection—her hair was up in a soft bun at the nape of her neck, with two curls hanging down on either side of her face, just covering her dangling, sparkling, diamond earrings. Her makeup was light, bringing out her blue eyes and natural features of her delicate face. She was wearing a long white dress, one adorned with silver gems and an intricate lace design. It was strapless, and wound down all the way to the floor, trailing down behind her. Looking down at it, she gasped with surprise—it was a wedding dress. Looking up back at the mirror, Cammie saw that her face was covered with a netted veil that sat carefully on her head from a little tiara.<em>

_Someone knocked on the entrance to the room behind her. Turning, Cammie saw Joe standing in the entrance, in a tux with a purple handkerchief and flower tucked into his front pocket. He was holding a bouquet of similar looking flowers and his expression bore nothing but pride. His eyes were shining—he had been crying no doubt. _

_"Hey," he said softly, looking Cammie up and down. "You look stunning." He came over to her and wrapped his arms around her, sniffling. Cammie closed her eyes and smiled in his embrace. Joe released her and extended his hand. "They're waiting for you, let's go."_

_Cammie grinned and took the bouquet from him, and clasped his hand tightly. She took a deep breath as Joe led her out of the room, walking down a simple hall and outside, where there was a beautiful display set up. Rows and rows of chairs sat on a heavenly grass bed. They were somewhere in the woods, near Blackthorne. The rows of chairs led up to a small stage, with a dais in the center. There was a wooden archway behind the dais, decorated with purple flowers, lace, ribbon, and balloons. The rows of chairs were decorated similarly too. _

_As Joe and Cammie took their first step onto the grass, a sweet melody started playing from a piano nearby, somewhere that Cammie couldn't see. What she could see, though, was her mother and Abby sitting in the first row, staring back at her. Both of them had tears in their eyes. However, Townsend had seemingly disappeared. Moving on, Cammie spotted Bex, Macey and Liz, with big grins on their faces. Liz was waving wildly and Cammie couldn't help but smile and wave back. She found Grant, Jonas, and Preston and all her Professors—even Tina was there. _

_"This is so amazing," Cammie turned to Joe as they walked down the aisle. "All my friends and family are here, and I'm getting married to the love of my life—"_

_"Yes, I know," Joe smiled back. "You and your husband will have the perfect life together."_

_"Well, Zach _is _the perfect man," Cammie smiled._

_"Zach?" Joe turned to her with a confused and puzzled look on his face. "Who's Zach?"_

_"Wait—what?" Cammie frowned, almost stopping in the middle of the aisle. "What do you mean_—_"_

_Joe didn't answer but pushed her gently up onto the stage. Cammie stumbled forward, her mind spinning. She turned, coming face to face with her man, her fiance, the one she was supposed to marry. She stared into his icy cold blue eyes and her whole body froze in shock._

_"Hey Cammie," Josh grinned the same way he grinned up on _Cavan_. "Miss me?"_

* * *

><p>Cammie's eyes flew open and she gasped, breathing heavily. A sheer layer of sweat had formed on her forehead. She sat up slowly, running her hands on her hair, trying to forget about what she had just dreamed.<p>

Looking over, she saw Zach sleeping soundly next to her. He seemed fine, but when Cammie looked closely, he saw that his face was twisted in agony as if he was in a lot of pain.

"Zach," she whispered, smoothing his hair away from his face. She was surprised to see that his forehead was wet to the touch. _Sweat,_ she realized. _He must be having a nightmare...like me._

"Zach, wake up," she whispered again, this time shaking him. He mumbled something incoherently, and tossed his head to the other side.

"Zach!" Cammie exclaimed forcefully. He woke up with a start, sitting up.

"What—what is it?!" He glanced worriedly at Cammie, putting his hands on her to see if she was safe. "Are you all right? Is something wrong?"

"N—no," she shook her head. "You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up."

Zach's face fell. "Oh," he raised his hands to his head, and closed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Cammie lifted his face to meet hers. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing," Zach gave a her a weak smile. "It was nothing, don't worry." He slowly got out of bed and walked out of the room, leaving Cammie sitting, twisted in the sheets, her concerned and doubtful eyes following him as he walked into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Cammie had gone back to sleep hesitantly and when she woke up the next day, Zach wasn't next to her. His shoes were gone, so Cammie guessed that he had already left for breakfast. She frowned at his undeclared departure and sat up slowly, yawning. Her eyes fell on the clock that was on the nightstand and the time and date stared at her back proudly, trying to tell Cammie something.<p>

Cammie stared at the date and suddenly she realized why the numbers seemed familiar to her. It was her birthday today. She sighed and got out of bed. After you turned 20, your birthday didn't really matter anymore. And it wasn't as if she could celebrate. The one person she wanted to spend the day with the most had left her sleeping alone on her bed and had gone off without telling her where he was going.

She slipped into the bathroom and took a shower, letting the hot water sink into her skin. When she came out, wrapped in two towels, she rummaged through her closets, looking for something reasonably nice to wear. She found a white sleeveless flowy top made of lace and tight black leggings. After pulling on her boots and slipping her gun in her back pocket, Cammie left the apartment in the direction of the cafeteria.

Walking down the halls, Cammie didn't pass a single Outlander on the way. This wasn't unusual, though. It was a Saturday, and most Outlanders wanted to catch up on sleep and sleep in, so no one was really awake.

Cammie entered the elevator and descended down to the lower levels where the cafeteria was located. When she entered the room, it was empty except for one of the chefs cleaning in the back of the kitchen. Cammie checked her internal clock, it was only 7:46. _Not _that_ early._ _Why isn't anyone in the room?_

She sat down at one of the tables by herself and took some food, eating it with a glum face. She finished quickly and left the cafeteria hurriedly, in search of all her friends. _Let me try Bex's room, _she thought. Just as she entered the elevator again, her ear buzzed, signaling an incoming message on her comms unit. Tapping it to recieve the call, Abby's voice spilled over the device.

_"Hey Cam, I'm calling a meeting with the elite team in the simulation room in five minutes. We just need to go over some new schematics." _

"Yeah sure," Cammie said, relieved to at least hear a familiar voice. She pressed the button to the basement floor telling Abby she was on her way. Once again, the halls were deserted. Cammie's heart beat began to quicken._ Did something happen to Blackthorne?_ She walked hurriedly to the simulation room and ducked inside building just as her five minutes were up. As she closed the door behind her, Cammie turned and looked around. The room was dark and no one seemed to be inside.

Cammie could barely see anything in the dark so she crept alongside the wall to the control booth. Inside, she felt for the button that would turn on the lights. Her fingers floated over the rows of buttons and levers, but she couldn't place the button she was looking for.

Just then, she heard a small noise. Looking up sharply, Cammie squinted into the void of black in front of her. Suddenly, the fluorescent lights came on, almost blinding Cammie. She blinked dizzily as her vision cleared and stared again at what was standing before her.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Cammie's jaw dropped as she stared at the crowd of students and teachers cheered and started clapping. The simulation room was thoroughly decorated, with balloons, streamers, long tables filled with cake and other party foods, and lastly one table filled with presents. The space in the middle was cleared for a makeshift dance floor and standing in the middle of it were all her friends and family—Bex, Liz, Jonas, Grant, Tina, Abby, Joe, Rachel, Townsend, Kim, Courtney, Eva, Mick, and Ana. Even Macey stood there, standing next to Preston. Behind them was a huge crowd of other Outlanders that lived in Blackthorne. It seemed that the entire vicinity of Blackthorne had shown up.

Cammie's open mouth formed into a grin and she stepped out of the control booth. She gave a small laugh and walked to Bex, Macey, and Liz. "This is so crazy! I can't believe you would do all this for me."

"We had to do _something_ to celebrate," Bex smiled. "Happy Birthday, Cam," She hugged Cammie tightly. As Bex released her, Cammie turned to Macey.

"Macey, it's been so long," she gushed, giving the girl a hug as well. "How has Washington treated you so far?"

"Good," the girl laughed. "Preston and I have been busy with Council work, but it's been good. Plus," she added, leaning in. "His house is _huge_."

"I remember," Cammie smiled and nodded. She exchanged more hugs and birthday wishes from her friends and family as she mingled through the crowd. She didn't know who was DJ-ing, but heavy dance music had started playing through the speakers of the simulation room and soon people were in the middle of the floor, their bodies moving and jumping around. The lights shut off, replaced by strobe lights flashing around the room, creating a colorful ambiance.

Cammie wove her way through the throng of people and found her mom, Abby, and Joe.

"Happy birthday, kiddo!" Rachel shouted over the loud music. She leaned in, placing a kiss on Cammie head.

"Thanks Mom!" she grinned, giving Abby and Joe a hug as well. It was when she released the both of them that she realized that something was missing. Or rather, someone.

Looking around the room, Cammie scanned the crowd for a familiar dark head and green eyes. She didn't spot one anywhere. Turning back to her mom she leaned in and half-yelled, "Have you seen Zach?"

"No, I haven't," Rachel frowned and shook her head. Cammie nodded and drifted away from her mom, Abby, and Joe, hoping that she could find Zach soon.

"Cam! Come dance with us!" Cammie turned and spotted Bex beckoning to her.

"Yeah, wait one second! I need to find Zach!" Cammie called back.

"What?" Bex came over to her and cupped her ear.

"I need to find Zach!" Cammie repeated.

"Oh, did you try his comms unit?" Bex asked.

"No, I'm going to go outside and do that," Cammie pushed Bex towards the dancers. "Go, dance. I'll be right back."

"You sure?" Bex said.

"Yeah, go," Cammie shooed her away and slipped outside, into the empty hall. She walked down, away from the simulation room to find someplace quiet, but she could still hear the beat of the music coming from the closed doors.

She tapped her comms unit, trying the different channels to see if she could reach Zach. On each line was silence. Nobody, let alone Zach, seemed to be on their comms. Cammie began to get agitated, more because of the fact that she couldn't find Zach than the fact that he hadn't shown up to her surprise party.

Just then, Cammie heard a faint footstep from behind her, followed by a "Gallagher Girl?"

She whirled around and saw Zach standing in the middle of the hall.

"Zach," Cammie breathed in relief and ran to him. "Where were you? You were gone this morning—"

"I was busy," he said sheepishly, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"With what?" she asked.

"Planning that," he pointed in the direction of the simulation room.

"You did this?" Cammie looked up at him with appreciation. "You planned the entire thing?"

"Yeah," Zach rocked back and forth on his heels. "Did you like it?"

"Of course I liked it," Cammie smiled. "It was so sweet. But," she took his hands out of his pockets and laced her fingers through his. "I would have liked it even better if I got to spend it with you."

Zach smirked and pulled her against him. "Okay, then. Let's go." Cammie grinned and looped her arm through his, walking down the hall.

"And why were you standing out here by yourself?" Zach asked. "If I remember correctly, the last time you were standing outside alone in the hall while a party was going on in the simulation room, you got kidnapped."

"I know," Cammie sighed. "But you really need to stop worrying about me." They reached the simulation room and went inside. The music was still just as loud, and now more people were dancing. Cammie pulled Zach towards the crowd of students, stopping in the middle of the group among the swaying bodies. Cammie started to dance, moving her hands and legs to the beat of the music. Her body brushed against Zach from time to time, and she let loose, shaking out all her worries and the memories from her nightmares. She was here, with Zach and all her friends and family, on her birthday, having fun. As the minutes ticked away, Cammie began to feel hot since she pressed against so many other people. Even so, she didn't care. She still danced, she still laughed, and she still smiled.

At one point Zach was staring down at her with a queer expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked loudly, pushing her hair out of her sweaty face.

"Nothing, I just—" Zach smiled. "I was just taking the time to think of how grateful I was."

"Grateful?" Cammie echoed.

"Yeah," Zach nodded. "Grateful to have you in my life."

Cammie grinned. "And I'm grateful to have you in mine."

"That's good to hear," Zach laughed. "But I have something to ask. Will we spend the rest of our lives together?"

"Of course," Cammie frowned slightly. _Why would he even ask that?_ "Of course, I would spend every single day with you, until my last dying breath."

"Perhaps we should make it official then," Zach said. "Seal the deal."

"What do you mean?" Cammie asked. Just then the music shut off, and Cammie stopped dancing. The groans and shouts arose from the crowd, all demanding the music to be turned on again. The strobe lights also shut off, and the room was enveloped in darkness.

"Zach, what's going on?" Cammie turned a 360, trying to see through the black. Suddenly a bright spotlight flashed, landing on Cammie. She whirled around and saw Zach walk towards her slowly and stop when he was a couple of feet away from her.

"Cammie," he began. "I've known you for eight years now, and we've been together for that entire time. And every day in those eight years, you gave me a new reason to love you. I don't know how to repay you for all that you've done for me. All I have for you is my love."

Around them, the shouts and demands from the Blackthorne students had died down, and now was replaced with hushed whispers, all directed towards Zach and Cammie.

"Zach," Cammie said softly, shaking her head with a smile. "You don't ever have to repay me for anything. Your love is more than enough."

"Then I'm glad," Zach said. "Because I love you, Cammie. I love you more than life itself. I love your smile and your eyes and your hair and all the little things you do to make people happy. And I hope I can make you happy today and every day onward."

He reached into his pocket pulling out something small and black, about the size of his fist. Cammie stared at it, all the color draining from her face.

"Zach," she breathed, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god, Zach."

There was a collective gasp that arose from the crowd around her, and several squeals coming from girls.

Zach just gave her a smile and came forward. He slowly lowered himself, onto one knee, opening the little black object in his hand.

"Cameron Ann Morgan...will you marry me?"

Cammie stared at Zach, her eyes already blooming with tears. "Yes," she breathed. "Yes, yes, yes. A hundred times yes." She ran forward and Zach caught her and spun her around both of them laughing and crying all at the same time. He put her down slowly and brought her lips to his, kissing her hard, holding her close to him tightly as though he just wanted to stay in this moment and never move on.

The Blackthorne students and teachers all started cheering and clapping, surging forward toward the group. Zach released Cammie and took the ring from the box. He slid it onto her finger, and Cammie turned her hand back and forth, inspecting how it looked. It was a deep scarlet garnet—her birthstone—stone in the shape of a heart. The heart was then encrusted with two gleaming diamonds on either side.

Cammie looked up at Zach with awe. "It's beautiful."

"You're beautiful," Zach smiled, ducking down to steal another kiss. Cammie felt her wet cheeks press against Zach's and the feeling made her feel even more emotional.

"Thank you," she smiled up into his green eyes. "Thank for you this—all of this," she gestured to the party. "It's the best night I ever had." She sniffed and laughed at her broken down state. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Zach smiled. Cammie threw her arms around him and held him firmly for a few seconds before releasing him. Their friends and family surrounded them—Bex, Liz, and Macey were jumping up and down excitedly and hugging Cammie. Grant and Jonas were patting Zach on the back and they stepped away so Townsend could give his congratulations. In the meantime, Rachel had come forward to embrace Cammie as well.

"I can't believe this," Rachel said breathlessly. "My baby's engaged!"

"_Mom_," Cammie said reproachfully but then laughed.

"I'm so proud of you two," Rachel looked back and forth between Zach and Cammie. "Thank you for keeping my daughter happy."

"My pleasure," Zach smirked. Joe came up next, and stood in front of Zach, looking him up and down.

"If you do anything that hurts Cammie—"

"I promise, sir, nothing will happen," Zach raised his hands automatically in surrender. Cammie stifled a laugh and looked on with amused face.

"Nothing better happen," Joe said. "I'm still keeping an eye on you." He turned to Cammie and smiled.

"Oh, kiddo. Look at you. I remember when you were just a little toddler and you were struggling with your A,B,C's...and now you're getting married."

Cammie laughed and gave Joe a hug. "Thank you for everything," she said. "You've done so much for me, the list goes on and on."

"It was the least I could do," Joe released her and gave her a smile. "Congrats, kiddo." He gave her a wink and pointed to Zach. "If this one tries anything funny, you come straight to me, got it?"

"I will," Cammie giggled and shared a look with Zach, whose face had gotten a little pale.

The congratulations went on and on, with Zach and Cammie exchanging handshakes, smiles, and hugs from all the other Outlanders. After a while the crowd around Zach and Cammie died down, and people started to move away from them. The music had resumed playing, and everyone was dancing again.

Cammie had scooted off to the side with Zach and her friends and started talking excitedly among themselves. Grant had helped himself to the bowl of chips and was devouring each piece enthusiastically one by one. Bex kept staring at him with a look of disdain and at point, she apparently couldn't take it anymore because she pulled Grant away hurriedly and gave him a chastising glare.

"So when's the wedding?" Liz asked loudly, her hands clasped in front of her face.

"Um..." Cammie shared a look with Zach. "I don't know...we haven't exactly thought that far yet."

"You should hire me as your wedding planner," Macey cut in, leaning towards Cammie and Zach so they could hear her. "Your wedding would turn out amazing."

Preston sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Macey, remember the last time you planned a wedding back in Washington? Do you remember what happened to the Smiths'—"

"No Preston," Macey gave him a look of warning. "I don't remember. And you don't need to explain it either." She turned back to Cammie and Zach, all smiles. "So what do you think?"

"Uh...sure, why not?" Zach chuckled. "You can be our wedding planner." He had his arm around Cammie's waist, his left hand's fingers intertwined with Cammie's. Her ring sparkled in the dark room.

"You guys deserve this," Bex piped up. "More than any of us. More than anyone else. You two have been through fights and missions and jealous guys," Preston looked down at his shoes uncomfortably when she said this, "and kidnappings and you're still together."

"And add the whole 'my boyfriend's mother is out to capture and torture me' thing," Jonas said. "It's been eight years, and you've only broken up _once_. And you guys hadn't really started dating anyways when you 'broke up'."

Cammie smiled, realizing that what Bex and Jonas had said was actually true. She looked up at Zach, who squeezed her hand. Just then, the talking toned down and the music faded again. Cammie craned her neck to look over Grant's shoulder and saw Rachel coming towards her with a cake in her hands and an array of candles sitting on top of it. The dancing flames created shadows on her mom's smiling face.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..." the crowd started singing and Cammie blushed. She moved forward to meet her mom in center of the room and the crowd surrounded her once again. Everyone cheered when the song finished and Abby, who was standing next to Rachel, spoke up eagerly.

"Make a wish!" she grinned.

_I wish..._ Cammie bit her lip and looked at the faces around her. There was Bex, Macey, Liz, Grant, Preston, Jonas, and Grant, all of them smiling happily. Then there was Townsend, who was looking at her with a kind expression. And Rachel, Abby, and Joe all had the same maternal/paternal look that was bound to be followed with some tears sooner or later.

Lastly, there was Zach. He was standing right by her, staring down at her with the same look in his eyes that Cammie woke up to every morning. The look that was filled with love and passion and desire. This boy made her feel all of these things, if not more.

Cammie turned back to the cake and closed her eyes, her mouth forming words silently.

_I wish that all the Outlanders, students and teachers included, in Blackthorne are safe and content forever. I wish all the villages are able to prosper and grow and that nothing bad would happen to them. I wish we would all live peacefully together with out any problems. I wish there are no more 'bad guys' like Catherine, or the Circle. I wish that my friends and family stay happy and healthy for their entire lives. I wish that Zach and I can have many more adventures and experiences to come, and that we always stand by one another even when we are at our worst. _

_I wish that everyday is like today, where everyone's having fun and laughing and no one's worrying about anything. _

_I wish everyday from now on is perfect. _

_Absolutely perfect._

**THE END**

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><p><strong>AN: It's over :( That was incredibly hard to write...but I hope you liked the epilogue. We had a _huge_ Zammie moment, probably the biggest one yet! Review and tell me what your reaction was!**

**Oh my gosh! _Fourteen _reviews...that's the most I've received in this story :) **

**Thank you so, so, much for all your kind words, you guys make my day with these lovely messages :) **

**Teenage Gallagher Girl Spy: **I know, it makes me want to cry. Even so, you've reviewed so many chapters for me and I really do appreciate the love you gave. Thank you so much, having tons of wonderful readers like you is enough to make me smile, let alone the number of reviews I get. I had an awesome time reading your thoughts and your comments helped make this story what it is today, so thank you for that as well! Hope you enjoyed the epilogue and maybe I'll see you with a sequel. Take care :)

**The Doggy Duchess: **Cute name! Yes a sequel would be fantastic! We'll see how this chapter does, and maybe you'll be able to see more of Cammie in the Outlanders soon! Thank you for reviewing!

**BooksLover2000:** Yeah, haha Joe will be Joe :) And honestly, what went down with Cammie and Zach is up to your interpretation ;) Thank you so much! As I said earlier, you're reviews are always the most entertaining to read :) And thank you for reading and reviewing all these chapters, you helped this story progress on and on with each chapter. I hope you had a fun time reading, and hopefully I'll see you with a sequel!

**miaadventure:** Yeah, it's pretty sad :( Thank you so much for reviewing! Your love and support means everything to me, you're an incredible writer yourself and it's equally as incredible to have you as one of my readers! Hoped you liked today's epilogue :)

**GallagherGirl14:** Thank you so much! I hoped you liked today's update :) And thanks for reviewing!

**Guest:** Thank you! Hopefully today's chapter was just as good :)

**GallagherGirl13: **Hahaa, I actually didn't think of the consequences also while reading the series. But it came to me while writing this, so I just wrote it into the story. Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed reading this story, and responding to your reviews is the least I could do. I only write for readers like you! Hopefully today's epilogue lived up to your expectations :) Thanks for reading and going on this journey with me! Take care :)

**love2read:** Thank you so much! I hoped you liked today's epilogue!

**kaitgirl:** Thanks :) I know, poor Abby and Townsend :( Thanks for your continued love and I'm so happy to have you as a reader!

**BookGuru101:** Thanks! I hoped you liked today's chapter!

**GOZAMMIE:** Oh no! What happened? Hoped you liked today's epilogue!

**zammiandjackunzel4evaderp:** I know, I don't want it to end either :( I'm glad you loved the story, and the shoutouts is my way of saying thanks, you've been a wonderful reader, and hopefully I'll see you again with a sequel :)

**Sky014:** Thank you :) Hahaa, reading all those wonderful books ends up giving you some inspiration I guess :) Thanks for reviewing (twice)! Hope you liked the epilogue :)

**And now, I'd like to take the time to have another section of shoutouts to some special people:**

**My followers:** Ali Pal, Allyce12, Avsypoo, BooknMovieLover, BoricuaBookworm, Bruised tulips, Chigrl78, Crazyturtlefrog, CrossoverQueen21, Divergent-Chameleon-Wise Girl, Divergent-shadowhunter-17, Dominika95, EquiiGirl, Frosted Rock, GallagherGirls13BYE, GallagherLiz, IamElizaBennet, IsileeTandem, Jenna9192, Jewels1303, JujuGrace, JustDon'tFlickrrr, Kat Gallagher, Katniss979-Goode-Morgan, Kisna731, Lanoon, Liela54352, Lilliansolis, Limir678, Magic-of-writing, PLLandGG, RebeccahalE, Rosalee Blythe, SKyeGOode, Sparkles250711, SpyWriter1102, Teenage Gallagher Girl Spy, TessieGray, The Doggy Duchess, TiggerandCammiandPercy, Wisegirl958, You'd like to know, You-Just-Might, Yousei1998, awesomegirl3362, berkgirl1, booklover159, carpentert31, carrot17, ccharis, codename-wildcat, djmia, emcenrue2408, georgerogers01, gymnast1150, ilovemesomecupcakes, imogenny1, isabellamc123, itsallaboutthebooks, kaitgirl, lovewords, mackenzieloveschicken, madisonforever, miaadventure, olympic girl 21, sennselbz, shayray, soccerbabelizy, these are my stories, tsanderson9, xEmmx, xQueezlex, xolisa316xo, zammiandjackunzel4evaderp, and zammiegallaghergirl.

**The people who favorited Chameleon: **Ali Pal, Allyce12, Avsypoo, BooksLover2000, Bruised tulips, Crazyturtlefrog, DippedInVinegar, Dominika95, EquiiGirl, Frosted Rock, GallagherGirls13BYE, GallagherLiz, Indigoandvioletskies, IsileeTandem, Jenna9192, Jewels1303, JujuGrace, JustDon'tFlickrrr, Kat Gallagher, Katniss979-Goode-Morgan, Lilliansolis, Limir678, PLLandGG, Perzammie, RebeccahalE, SKyeGOode, Sparkles250711, Teenage Gallagher Girl Spy, TheCrazedSisters, The Doggy Duchess, TheWannabeBruceLee, Wisegirl958, awesomegirl3362, berkgirl1, booklover159, carpentert31, carrot17, ccharis, cheeky-monkey-hehe, discolor3d, emcenrue2408, georgerogers01, givillafania, idontwannago2school, isabellamc123, lovelikeallhopeislost, mackenzieloveschicken, miaadventure, olympic girl21, shayray, soccerbabelizy, unaisah1, vika21402, xEmmx, xolisa316xo, and zammiandjackunzel4evaderp.

**And also thanks to all my guest readers, who are just as important to me as any of my readers. You people say some of the nicest things :)**

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><p><strong>You guys are all so incredible. I'm being honest when I say that I wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for all of you. This was my first fanfiction, and I remember being so scared to post this story because I wasn't sure if people would like this type of a fic. But now, I can say that with all of your support, you have given me the confidence and the will to become a better writer. <strong>**I write because I want to make my audience laugh and cry and smile at their screen while reading. I'm so so blessed that I was able to experience the journey of this fic with you all. ****It's been over a year, and you've still stuck with me ;p. **

**Thank you for taking the time to click on the title of this story and allowing me to take up your time with my work. Thank you for believing that this story is worth the read and thank you for thinking that I have the ability to keep you entertained. You guys are my everything, and I will miss posting chapter after chapter for you guys. Maybe in the future, you'll see more Chameleon, but as of now, I hope you all will carry on peacefully. Thank you so much! I love you all to the moon and back :)**

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><p><strong>You guys did an awesome job with reviews, as mentioned before. I think we're at 182 reviews (!) so <strong>_you have 18 more_ **:) I hope you guys liked today's chapter and you were able to get the closure that you wanted! Stay tuned just in case I post a sequel or any other Gallagher Girl stories.**

**If you like the Mortal Instruments, or any of the Shadowhunter books from Cassandra Clare, be sure to check out my other story, **_Safe and Sound_**. It's my take on the Mortal Instruments series, and there are many twists and turns for you to enjoy. **

**And check out my one-shot **_20 Questions_** based on the Gallagher Girls. It focuses around Zach in Cammie in regular high schoolers. They have been friends for a while, and now they both start to like each other without knowing that the opposing person likes them back.**

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><p><strong><em>And I have a favor to ask all of you. Can you guys leave review and tell me which scene out of Chameleon was your favorite? It can be anything, from any chapter, including this one. Was it a funny dialogue, or a certain cliffhanger, or the introduction of a new character? Tell me, I'm actually really curious to find out what you guys have to pick.<em>**

**Anyways, thanks for everything guys. I love you all so much, I hope you know that :) **

**Signing off for the last time,**

**~bookwormbullet**


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